Conspiracy - A Zootopia Fanfiction
by Michael-GoldenHeart23
Summary: *New chapters post daily, so the adventure continues without delay* This Zootopia fanfiction will thrust readers one year after the events of the film. When a high-speed chase goes awry, Officer Judy Hopps uncovers a plot that could change the city of Zootopia forever. Everything they have ever known has been a lie. Join Judy as she races to reveal the truth before time runs out!
1. Chapter 1 - The Mystery Beneath

**Chapter: 1 The Mystery Beneath**

The sun shined brightly down upon the city of Zootopia, a wondrous metropolis where predator and prey lived in harmony. This peace was disrupted by the city's assistant mayor, who sought to frame and persecute the predators of Zootopia. Luckily, her plans were foiled by two heroic animals who would later became prominent members of Zootopia's finest. These two, Nick Wilde the fox and Judy Hopps the rabbit, had been crime-fighting together for over a year now. Multiple cases and daring operations had only strengthened the duo's bond. However, no previous challenge could have prepared Nick and Judy for the mystery that awaited them. They say that one's finest moments are defined by willpower and tenacity. True character can only be developed during the greatest of challenges. For Nick and Judy, the following event was just another emergency call. Little did they know, the future of the world as they knew it was about to change...and it all started with a call to dispatch.

The radio crackled, "We have a 211 in progress!" Gunshots could be heard ringing out in the ambience. "I repeat! We have a 211 in progress at the Zootopia Central Bank! All ZPD units respond. We have an officer down! Officer down!" More gunshots sounded and the call came to an end.

Chief Bogo rushed out of his office and into the ZPD's conference room. His prowess was fearsome and authoritative. Police officers were already scrambling into action while the cape buffalo exclaimed, "I want every cop down there this instant. We need to establish a perimeter and take these robbers down before more innocent people get hurt!" He called in, "Clawhauser!"

"Yes, chief?" responded an obese cheetah.

"Where are my finest officers?" asked Bogo.

"They're already on the way," he assured.

"Good," nodded Bogo.

A police cruiser with blaring sirens sped through the frigid streets of Tundratown. "So much for an easy patrol day," said Nick.

Judy accelerated the car to an even greater speed. "This heist must be big if Bogo needs this many police on the scene."

"It's only the bank," jested Nick.

Judy huffed at him before beginning to worry. "I just hope as many mammals as possible made it to safety."

The car darted through a tunnel connecting Tundratown to the downtown area. Things were much worse than either mammal could have anticipated. From the moment they exited the tunnel, the duo could already see civilians running in the streets. Judy shifted gears and skidded around the corner to reach the bank. Black smoke could be seen puffing from the windows while a masked feline opened fire on police. Judy brought the car to a screeching halt and leapt out with Nick. Each readied their miniature pistols before joining other police pinned down behind the barricade. A wounded tigress officer could be seen being dragged to a safe location.

"Die, coppers!" screamed the gunman before spraying bullets with his machine gun. He wore two bandoliers, each fully stacked with ammunition.

"Can you get a shot at him?" wondered Nick.

"I'll take a look," said Judy. The bunny poked her head over the barricade for mere seconds before several bullets came whizzing at her. She parted her ears and the bullets barely missed the top of her skull. "Definitely can't get a shot," she gulped.

Nick blindly fired from cover in an attempt to land a hit on the gunman. Judy gave the leopard officer next to her a nudge, "Do you know what we're up against?"

She fired two shots before ducking and then responded. "Our first responder reported at least six heavily armed robbers."

"This guy at the door is most certainly a distraction," concluded Judy. "We need to take him out and get in there!"

Another police car came to a stop and a husky arrived with his pistol readied. The blue-eyed canine slid in beside Nick and Judy. "Hope I'm not too late to join the party!"

"Never," smiled Judy. "Good to see you, Brock."

"You as well." The husky gave a brief wave towards Nick. "Hey, Wilde."

"Barker," Nick nodded.

Brock peered through one of the bullet holes in the barricade. "We can take this guy together. When he's done with another sweep of bullets, I'll shoot to draw his fire. Think you can take the shot then, bunny?"

Judy nodded, "Let's take it to him." Judy used her small size to her advantage. She scurried under the barricades and hid behind a light post just left of the gunman.

Brock waited until he was clear and proceeded to open fire. The distraction worked and Judy was able to land a well-placed bullet into his shin. "Hostile down!" she called. "Move up!"

"Nice shot, Carrots!" complimented Nick while two officers restrained the wounded gunman.

Brock admired Judy, "You got a lot more restraint than I do, Hopps. I would've shot him dead."

"Death isn't a punishment for him. Not one from us." said Judy. "We have to be better than he his."

Nick and Brock vaulted over the vehicular barricade and advanced towards the bank's entrance. They were about to enter when muzzle flashes lit up the interior. "Get back!" warned Brock as bullets blasted through. "This way's a no go."

Judy yelled inside, "ZPD! We've got you surrounded! Lay down your weapons and-"

 ** _TATATATATATATA!  
_**  
Bullets struck against the doorway's frame, sending sparks and metal shards flying in multiple directions. "As much as I know how by the book you are, do you honestly think these guys want to surrender?" jeered Nick.

"I'm just utilizing our options." defended Judy. "If you have any, I'm all ears."

"Literally," remarked Nick. He glanced beyond the wall and found a sturdy drain pipe. "How good is your grip?"

Judy's nose twitched with intrigue. "Quick thinking, clever fox."

"Thank you. Now quick! We need to get in there." Nick led the way as Judy and Brock followed. The entire pipe shook when Brock grabbed hold, forcing the husky to stay grounded. Only Judy and Nick were light enough to continue their ascension.

Brock scoffed, "This won't hold me. I'll move in once the door is clear. Good luck up there!"

Nick helped Judy up, "Well this is exciting. We haven't had a call like this in some time.

"We can revel about this later," Judy said while kicking an air vent open. The bunny slipped in first and shivered. "Chilly."

"Still better than being iced by Mr. Big." quipped Nick. The duo proceeded to delve into the ventilation system. The sounds of ceaseless gunfire made locating the exit points incredibly easy. Together, they gently removed the vent's hatch and found themselves directly above the next robber. He was a ferocious polar bear with as many bandoliers as his partner.

"You ready for this?" asked Judy.

"No," admitted Nick. "But seeing as we have no other choice..." The duo leapt out of the vent and onto the polar bear's shoulders. He roared with a rigorous thrash, causing the officers to scurry across his body. Nick leapt onto the bear's rifle in order to buy Judy time. The bunny propelled herself off of his shoulder and drove both of her legs into the side of his face. The bear snarled and took a snap at Judy. Nick then leapt off of the rifle. Without him weighing it down, the firearm teetered up and smacked directly into the bear's face. The colossal predator came towering over as the rest of the police swarmed into the building.

"You alright?" panted Nick while helping Judy to her feet.

The bunny rubbed her lower back after such a fall. "That'll hurt in the morning."

Brock took point and barked, "Hopps! Wilde! No time to waste. On me!"

They followed after him, checking each corner for any hiding robbers. "My side's clear." said Nick.

"Clear on my end," said Judy.

Brock turned down one of the bank's hallways and was immediately tackled by the third robber. He was a grey-furred wolf with a vicious snarl. He attempted to aim his pistol at Brock, but the officer disarmed him with a twist of his wrist. Brock then kneed the wolf twice in the ribcage and delivered a fierce punch across his face. The robber fell over with a groan and Brock immediately cuffed him.

"Nice one," remarked Judy. Two figures dashed across the hall and made for the stairwell. "Stop in the name of the law!" exclaimed Judy.

The trio trailed the robbers to the bank's rooftop. Despite numerous warnings, the crooks leapt onto another building. "I can't make that jump," realized Nick. "I'll head back and bring the car around."

"Copy that," said Brock before leaping to the next rooftop. Judy mustered her strength to jump after him. After doing so, she was able to get a good look at the perpetrators. One was a panther while his cohort was a raccoon. Brock eyed the latter and smirked, "The ringtail's mine!" What was most peculiar yet unique about Brock was that he didn't act completely civilized. He felt that if an animal had traits that could be used to an advantage for law enforcement, he should be able to use them. Brock would not waste his time struggling on two legs when he could best chase his prey with four. Judy watched as the officer did just that and ran towards the fleeing raccoon. Such naturalistic actions earned Brock his nickname "Hybrid." Judy would be lying if she said that watching Brock's wild strategy didn't give her trauma. It reminded her of her first case ever, in which she had to avoid being attacked by "savage" animals. But Judy, Bogo, or any member of the force couldn't argue with Brock's results.

The husky sped on all fours and lunged atop the raccoon, trapping him under a mighty pounce. He effortlessly flipped the crook over and clicked the cuffs on him. The panther doubled back and came charging at Brock. "Look out!" warned Judy before leaping onto the panther's shoulder. She got a good kick in before Brock tackled him. Unlike his fellow henchmen, this panther would give his own life before anyone could lock him up. He slashed his claws across Brock's shoulder, causing him to howl with pain. As a result, Brock gave the panther a punch before all three went falling over the building's edge. They struck against two awnings that cushioned their falls onto the sidewalk.

Judy quickly recovered and helped push Brock to his feet. "You'll be alright." she said. "Come on! We've got at thief to catch!"

The panther bolted down the alleyway, only to be cut off by Nick in his cruiser. A horn honked across the way, and the panther ran for his getaway driver. He slipped into the black car and his remaining partner drove off. Judy and Brock took the time to leap into the police car. "Floor it, Nick!" Judy exclaimed. The engines of both cars roared at tremendous speeds. Judy called in, "Attention all units! This is Officer Judy Hopps. We are in pursuit of the bank robbers. They're in a black car headed north on Prairie Road and towards Sahara Square."

Judy's foot tapped stressfully. "Nick, see if you can get us alongside him. Brock, open your window. Can you get a shot at his tires?"

"If you get me close enough," said Brock while withdrawing his pistol. He poked his head out of the window and stuck his tongue out on instinct. He fired two shots before the car swerved into another lane. "I don't have a shot! Get me closer, Wilde!"

"What do you think I'm doing?" snapped Nick. "It's not like there's traffic or anything."

Several other police cars cut off the robbers, forcing them to turn onto Acacia Street. "Oh no," worried Brock.

"What?" wondered Judy.

"I think I left that raccoon handcuffed on the roof."

Judy rolled her eyes, "We'll send a patrol to retrieve him after we stop his friends." The hot pursuit continued as the robbers swerved towards Sahara Square. The panther leaned out from his window and opened fire on the cruiser. Nick zigzagged to avoid both bullets and incoming cars.

The radio sounded, "Hopps!"

"Chief Bogo," said Judy. "Am I glad to hear from you."

"We've set up a barricade on Aloe Avenue. Can you get the robbers to deviate towards it?"

Judy turned to Nick as he replied, "Two cornered crooks coming right up!" The fox furrowed his brows and made a hard right turn. This caused the cruiser to slide right up to the robbers and sideswiped their car. It spun out and diverted course to Aloe Avenue as planned. "Good thing this cruiser can take a hit," sighed Nick.

The robbers found themselves facing off against an entire line of police cars. A spike strip had been laid out in front of the blockade, forcing the perpetrators to go off road. Brock took aim once more and shot out one of the back tires. The car swerved out of control and toppled across the sands of Sahara Square. A running team of camels ducked for cover as the wild car leapt above them. It crashed into a dune and cracked the rock formation just beyond it. "That had to hurt," said Nick while parking the car. He joined Judy and Brock as they readied their weapons and approached the wrecked vehicle.

Closer observation revealed the weary hoof of the goat driving the car. Brock pulled out both suspects and dragged them towards the approaching authorities. "You dirtbags are going to hard time for this. Check the car, Hopps. Could be a lowlife in the trunk or backseat. Judy jumped up to the door and peered through the windows. Her nose twitched curiously while her purple eyes scoured the vehicle's interior contents.

She hollered, "All clear!"

Just as she said that, the rocky formation began to crumble even more. A rumbling sounded from beneath the car and the ground began to shake. Nick turned. "Get out of there!" The bunny hauled herself on top of the car and began to run off of it. Before she could jump, the entire ground caved in along with the formation behind it. She gasped while stretching to reach Nick's paw. He nearly had her when the rest of the ground caved in. "Judy!" yelled Nick as he watched his friend fall into the darkness.

Judy held onto the car as it crashed against the collapsing boulders. One of the smaller rocks slammed right through the windshield, and Judy threw herself into the hole it made. The bunny landed against the backseat cushion, dropped to the floor, and braced herself for the worst.

 ** _CRASH!  
_**  
All went silent in the blackness of the chasm. Judy must've hit her head on part of the backseat. She awakened while rubbing her sore temple. "Judy!" echoed Nick's voice. "Judy!"

"Judy!" hollered Brock. "Can you hear us?!"

"Hopps!" boomed Bogo's distant voice.

Judy winced while crawling out of the totaled vehicle. "I'm here!" she called back with a groan. The bunny fell against the sandy ground and squinted up to see how far she'd fallen. "Here I am!"

"There!" Brock pointed with his flashlight.

"Hold on, Carrots!" exclaimed Nick. "We'll throw you a rope!"

Judy sighed while reaching for her flashlight. "Where am I?" she wondered. She turned her device on and the light immediately revealed a half of a skull. Judy yelped at the sight of it and repulsed with fear.

"Judy?" worried Brock. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah! I...found something." Judy replied. She crept up to the remains to get a closer look. Only half of the skull remained while the rest of the fractured ribcage was wrapped in a dirtied garb. "What the? I've got a body down here! Looks like it's been here for some time! I'll get a closer look!"

Another section of rock crumbled inwards, startling Nick. "They'll be time for that later. Climb up before the whole place comes down on you!"

Judy sighed but ultimately agreed. She backed away from the bizarre remains and heard something scurry behind her. "Who's there?!" she exclaimed while swaying her flashlight.

More rocks began to cave in, agitating Nick. "Carrots!" he exclaimed.

Judy shook off her suspicions in favor of not being buried alive. She grabbed hold of the rope and ascended out of the darkness. "You had us scared there, Hopps." panted Brock. He raised a brow at the rabbit's appearance. "Hopps?"

Judy looked as if she'd seen a ghost. Nick placed his paw on her shoulder, "Just what kind of body was down there?"

"I don't know," admitted Judy. "It was very old and half of it was missing."

"As long as it wasn't your body," said Brock. "You probably stumbled on a piece of Zootopia's early history."

"I'll get forensic and archaeological teams down here. Until then, we will seal off the perimeter so no one falls in. You know how problematic those unwary civilians can be. Especially if they're texting." said Bogo. "As for you three, good work nabbing those crooks. Report back to the station for a debriefing."

"With all due respect, chief." Judy said. "I'm curious to see what else is in this pit. I'd like to aid the research teams in the investigation."

Bogo nodded, "By all means."

"Thank you," she nodded.

Bogo glowered at her, "Just because I said you could help doesn't mean you could stay. Debrief at the station first, then you can come back."

Judy sulked, but it was required that all police debrief after a case. She obliged and followed Bogo while her fellow police trailed behind. Judy still glanced over at the pit, curiously longing to learn more about its secrets. "All in good time," she promised herself. "All in good time." 


	2. Chapter 2 - The Coverup

**Chapter: 2 The Coverup**

Judy's furry digits rigorously pattered against the keyboard. She leaned closer to the screen as her eyes followed each word she typed. "You're leaning again," sighed Nick.

"I know," she grumbled defensively.

"Hey, you're the one who asked me to help you break that habit. It'll screw up your posture and fry those little eyes of yours."

Judy sat back as her foot repeatedly tapped with agitation. "Of all the days to write an extensive case report."

"You've got to calm down, Hopps." said Brock while drinking a cup of water. "Whether you're there or not, whatever's in that hole will be on the news and in a museum. You'll get to see it no matter what." Brock huffed. "She's not listening, is she?"

"Nope," glowered Nick while his partner typed away. "In case you haven't noticed, Brock. Once Judy sets her mind to something, she'll never stop until it's done."

"Absolutely," agreed Judy as she typed.

"Oh THAT she heard," Brock scoffed while refilling his water.

"Hey Hybrid!" laughed an elephant officer from down the hall. "Why are you using the cooler? You want a drink? The lake's outside!" Brock ignored the comment while his heckler departed.

Judy had finished typing up her case report just in time. "Why do you put up with that?" she asked Brock.

"It doesn't bother me." admitted Brock. "Animals want to be ignorant, that's their problem. It's rather amusing that they are because my techniques get results. So what if we evolve? Our ancient ancestors used their physical attributes to survive, so why shouldn't we? If I hadn't gotten on all fours to chase after that crook on the roof, I never would've caught him. I know I'm evolved, but that doesn't mean I can't be old-fashioned...very, VERY old-fashioned." Brock sipped his water and crunched the paper cup in his paw. "Even chief has his moments. Sometimes he looks at me like I'm some kind of savage. Yet here I am getting the job done. I refuse to forget about my heritage. Long ago, we canines efficiently hunted prey for food. I don't see the difference between hunting criminals for justice. It's despicable."

"Well it's good that you're not eating them," quipped Nick.

Brock rolled his eyes, "You know what I'm getting at. Hopps, as powerful as your 'Try' speech was, discrimination is still very real. All I can do is continue to prove myself. Cops like you two and Clawhauser understand me. For that, you have my trust."

"And you have ours," said Judy as she shut down her computer. "Making the world a better place is a daily routine. One that sees the best and the worst of mammals. Since the report's finished, why don't you join Nick and I to go check out that hole? Bogo gave us the green light to oversee the investigation."

Brock began to smile, "Anything beats staying cooped up in here."

Nick raised a brow, "Who said I was going?"

Judy smirked at him, "You're my partner. Partners work together."

Nick shot her a glare, "You're going to get yourself into trouble."

"Then you'd better be there to pull me out of it," quipped Judy.

Nick huffed, "Sometimes I really don't like you."

"Nope, you love me." corrected Judy.

Nick always hated when Judy used his own quips against him. Regardless, the fox reluctantly joined her. They approached the reception desk and could see Officer Clawhauser munching on a jelly donut. "Hey friends! I heard about the robbery this morning. Well...of course I heard it...I'm the radio dispatcher." He shook off his awkwardness, "Great job stopping those guys! Where are you off to now?"

"We're going to oversee the underground investigation," said Judy. "Why don't you join us?"

Clawhauser's eyes widened, "M-...me?"

"Yeah!" assured Brock. "When's the last time you saw some action?" asked Brock.

"Does snagging the last chocolate glazed donut from the break room count?" replied Clawhauser. He thought for a moment, "Well Officer Hoofton has been looking for a time slot to train recruits...Okay!" The obese cheetah giggled with enthusiasm before squeezing out from behind the desk and calling in.

The group got into Judy's cruiser and drove off for Sahara Square. "So do we know what's in the hole?" asked Clawhauser. "I want to be the first to hashtag it when we get pictures." Nick rolled his eyes at the cheetah's words.

"You can hashtag dead body," chuckled Judy. Clawhauser gulped as she continued, "I couldn't make out what it was exactly. But it sure was intriguing. Who knows what else is in there."

Brock leaned towards the car window, "Say...since when do archaeologists get brought over in government vehicles?"

"What?" Judy raised a brow while parking near the hole. The entire area had been roped off and multiple brown bears could be seen patrolling the area. Meanwhile, white-coated wolf scientists were examining the edges of the hole. They scribbled their observations onto their personal clipboards.

One of the bears approached Judy and the others, "Afternoon, officers. How may I be of assistance?"

"We're here to oversee the investigation," said Judy.

"I assure you, officer." said the bear. "The situation is completely under the ZBI's control."

"The ZBI?" questioned Judy. "Chief Bogo didn't call you guys."

"But the mayor did," said a strong female voice. Judy turned to see a tall, white tigress. She towered over Judy, but the bunny refused to be intimidated. The tigress gave a nod of acknowledgement. "Lydia Furwell, head of the Zootopia Bureau of Investigation. Who are you?"

Judy was about to answer when Nick scoffed, "How could you not know who she is? Heck, or even who I am?"

"Or me," added Brock.

"You're not that cool," Nick gave Brock a light nudge.

The tigress leaned down so that her piercing blue eyes could get a closer look at Judy. "Ah yes," she realized. "Judy Hopps. The officer who saved Zootopia from a maniacal sheep trying to eradicate all predators. And Nicholas Wilde...the cynical conman turned hero. While officer Hopps may possess my mild respect, you have none of it, fox."

"Keep it," sneered Nick before Brock held him back.

"What's going on here?" asked Judy.

Lydia pulled out a warrant, "When Chief Bogo notified Mayor Snoutmeyer about your discovery, he immediately notified us. We are accountable for such 'discoveries'. The ZBI has all of the appropriate credentials to hold control of this area. Any interruption by lesser law enforcement is punishable, and I must ask you to leave the premises."

Judy glared up at the tigress, "But the only reason this pit even exists is because of us. I don't see why we can't just-"

"Because we have a warrant to be here and you do not," intoned Lydia. "You don't want trouble with a third mayor...do you, cottontail?"

Judy clenched her paws but Nick placed his own on her shoulders. "Let's go, Carrots. It's not worth the trouble."

"I have to agree with Nick on that one," worried Clawhauser.

Judy took one more look at the hole and then peered up at Lydia, "What's in there?"

The tigress remained emotionless, "That's for me to find out and you to see on the news tomorrow. Now this is your final warning. Get out of my sight or there will be consequences." Brock helped lead Judy away and glared at Lydia. "And what are you looking at?" she snapped. "Leave."

"The law is the law, Hopps." said Bogo. "The mayor felt the situation required the ZBI's involvement. They outrank us. They also had the proper documents to justify their presence." Judy bit her lip with frustration, prompting Bogo to huff. "Hopps, you of all officers should know the importance of documentation and procedure. There's nothing more you can do about that bloody hole in the ground. So let it go, head home, and relax. You've had a very intense day and you could use the rest."

Judy's ears dropped behind her when she sighed, "Yes sir."

She departed from the chief's office and ended her shift for the day. Nick awaited her arrival by the ZPD reception desk. Clawhauser could be seen frowning, "Sorry things didn't work out, Judy. Chocolate donuts always brighten my day...maybe one could do the same for yours?"

Judy gently rejected the treat, "No thank you. I just want to get home."

"I couldn't agree more," said Nick before patting his partner on the back. "On the bright side, you don't have to deal with a press conference on the bank heist. Brock opted to take your place."

Judy slowly smiled, "That husky's a good guy. It's a shame he's so misunderstood."

"Aren't we all?" chuckled Nick. He saddened at the sight of his upset partner, and did anything to lift her spirits. "But hey, all this stuff is behind us. And that hole? We'll watch the report on the news tomorrow like everyone else. If we're lucky, it might be on tonight! I'll make some popcorn, grab a couple of pawpsicles...legal pawpsicles."

Judy appreciated Nick's efforts. Instead of convincing her that her curiosity was pointless, he sought for an alternative means of satisfying it. She gave him a smile, "That sounds good." The duo made their way back to the apartment complex. Upon entering her bedroom, Judy immediately changed into a comfy shirt and sweatpants before collapsing on the bed. By the time Nick poked into the room to check on her, she was already fast asleep. He displayed a sympathetic smile and sat on the edge of the bed. The fox yawned, sprawled himself next to Judy, and dozed off.

It was as if Judy had blinked when her nap came to an abrupt end. "Carrots," said Nick. "Carrots! Wake up. The news is on."

Judy yawned and groggily rubbed her eyes. "How long have I been out?"

"You slept a solid three hours. I got up about forty minutes ago." replied Nick while helping her out of bed. "Now come on. We're gonna miss it."

Judy's nose twitched at the smell of freshly popped popcorn awaiting her on the sofa. She plopped onto the cushion and listened in as news anchor, Peter Moosebridge, continued his story. "And the robbers would have gotten away had the officers of the ZPD not cornered them after a high speed pursuit in Sahara Square. However, this car chase led to a rather fascinating discovery. Government officials unearthed a spectacular find when the robber's car crash caused a cave to reveal itself." The television showed footage of ZBI staff peering down into the hole and then cut to a box of diamonds. "A large deposit of gems were found, just adding a whole new meaning to the expression 'diamond in the rough.' I'm Peter Moosebridge, and this is your six o'clock news."

"What?!" snapped Judy, startling Nick in the process. "What about the body? The other bones? That can't be it!" Nick remained perplexed as Judy continued. "Nick, I know what I saw. My findings didn't even get a mention. There was-...I-...Lydia knows something. She didn't want us finding that body. There weren't any diamonds down there. That story had to be fabricated!"

"That's a pretty bold presumption about the head of the ZBI," said Nick. "Why can't you trust the government to know what its doing?"

Judy composed herself and slipped off of the couch. She went into her room, changed into jeans, and put on a leather jacket.

Nick raised a brow, "Carrots...what's going on in that fuzzy head of yours?"

"I need to go back," said Judy. "Something's amiss here and I'm going to find out what."

"Why can't you just drop this thing?" grumbled Nick.

"Because the investigation is incomplete. I need to know what happened to the body, or at least try to identify it." She took notice of her partner's worried expression. "Nick, I just need to know the truth. Once I do, I'll drop this whole incident."

Nick glared at her, "I sure hope you're right." He stood up and put his own coat on, "For my sake."

Judy nodded and exited the apartment. Together, she and Nick snuck off into the darkness of the starlit night.


	3. Chapter 3 - Jason

**Chapter: 3 Jason**

By the time Nick and Judy had reached the hole, they had found it roped off from all sides. Large spotlights were propped to point into the cave and a single ZBI agent could be seen patrolling them. He was a boar with a crackling radio attached to his belt. Judy vaulted over a rock and took cover behind a research tent. Nick quickly followed while whispering, "I can't believe we are doing this."

"We need to find out what Furwell's hiding."

"No...YOU need to find out. I'm just here to make sure you don't get yourself killed."

Judy poked her head beyond the tent's corner. Nick brushed her ears aside and rested his head atop hers. "If we can get to the other side of the hole, we can use the researcher's cables to rappel down." All Judy had to do was wait for the guard to turn around. She would have to be fast if she wanted a chance. The frigid breezes of the night struck against the bunny, causing her to quiver. This only intensified her anxiety as she positioned herself to move. "Be light on your feet," she whispered. "Ready..." The guard turned. "Now!"

Nick and Judy rapidly crept towards the hole. Such sneaking turned into running because the sand silenced their stomps. Judy grabbed hold of the cable and began to fasten herself to it. Nick kept an eye on the guard, "Hurry!"

"Got it!" smirked Judy before assisting Nick. Once both were fastened, they rappelled into the hole just as the guard turned towards them. Judy's push off was stronger than anticipated, and she soon felt herself speedily descending into the darkness. "Slow," warned Nick. "Slow! Slow!"

 ** _WAPOOOSH!  
_**  
Nick and Judy struck against the sandy underbelly of the cave. The sound of their impact alerted the guard, making him immediately shine his flashlight down. The duo remained hidden behind rubble as the flashlight's beam scoured the surrounding area. He shut off his light and called in on his radio. "HQ, this is Tusking."

Lydia's voice could be heard replying. "Go ahead, Tusking."

"I just heard a large crashing of some kind. I think the targets may have resurfaced."

"Targets?" Judy thought to herself while eavesdropping.

Lydia's stern voice emanated from the radio. "Clearing teams are on the way. Remain at your post and do not engage until they arrive."

"What was that about?" wondered Judy.

"Who cares?" scoffed Nick. "This isn't our business. Why can't you just leave this for the higher ups?"

Judy ignored his comment and activated her flashlight. She retraced her steps from the morning and followed the wreckage to the wall. The bunny's eyes widened at her discovery. "What? It's gone."

"What is?" whispered Nick.

"The body. It was right here."

"The ZBI probably recovered it for investigation. That's what researchers do." Nick contested.

Judy shook her head and kept searching with her flashlight. As she stepped forward, her foot soon sank into a damp, sandy puddle. Further investigation revealed a minuscule stream of water flowing from against the wall. "There must be an underground spring down here."

Nick now ignored her and focused on the amount of ZBI equipment already placed in the cave. "Carrots, you heard that agent. 'Clearing teams' are on the way because of the sound we made. I don't know what those are but I surely don't want to wait around and find out. If we're caught, who knows what kind of consequences we could face?"

"You've done plenty of illegal things before," quipped Judy. "Why's this any different?"

"You know damn well that I gave all of that up for a fresh start." Nick's voice grew intense enough to have Judy's full attention. "I'm done with that life and don't plan on getting arrested. I joined the ZPD to protect and serve just as you did. But we have to know our limitations. What's going on in this stupid cave is beyond either of us and honestly, I don't care. This is a government matter and it is wrong of us to interfere. Especially if we are doing so because of your own stubbornness."

Judy paused, and her once alert ears now drooped behind her head. "Nick-...I-...You're right. I don't know why I couldn't just let this go. I guess I just didn't like being denied by Lydia. I've never liked anyone telling me what I cannot do."

Nick placed a paw on her shoulder. "Judy, I admire your determination to prove yourself. However, you have nothing to prove in this situation. Everyone knows how special you are and even that uptight tigress 'mildly' respects you."

Judy forced a smile. "Thanks, Nick. I lost my head. You've already seen that once, you shouldn't have had to again."

"It's alright, Carrots. Let's just get out of here." Nick began to smile, "If we hurry we might be able to catch one of those gameshow reruns that they play at night."

Judy sighed, "That sounds great."

 ** _BANG!  
_**  
A gunshot sounded, prompting the two to take cover.

 ** _BANG! BANG! BANG!  
_**  
Soon, the entire cave was filled with sporadic bursts of gunfire. Bullets ricocheted against the rocks while others struck near the crushed car, shattering what remained of the windshield. Nick and Judy held onto each other, pressing their faces together as bullets darted around them. "To the left!" echoed a voice.

"I see them!" yelled another. Gunfire erupted elsewhere in the cave.

 ** _BANG! BANG!  
_**  
A howl of pain sounded in the darkness. "Target down! Target down!" exclaimed a ZBI agent. "There's one more out there!"

"Who or what are they shooting?" worried Judy.

"I don't know," panted Nick. He glanced over the rocks to see a team of mammals rappelling down. They were all tigers, each armed with an assault rifle. Flashlights were fastened to the barrels, allowing each shooter to scour the cave systems. Nick caught a glimpse of the ZBI logo on their uniforms. He and Judy watched as the agents stood over the writhing body of the creature they shot.

"It's still alive," growled one of the mammals.

 ** _BANG!  
_**  
Another agent shot it dead, causing Nick and Judy to shutter back. "Something tells me these guys will shoot first and ask questions later."

"You think?" panted Judy. "They're blocking our only way out of here. If we're quick enough, we might be able to sneak around them and get to their ropes."

"Go around the car," pointed Nick. He was the first to dive across. He poked his head up and waved his paw, "It's clear. Come on."

Judy was about to make the dash when another spray of gunfire struck near her. "Movement by the spring!" roared one of the agents. "Engage! Engage!"

Muzzle flashes illuminated the cave while bullets rapidly blasted into the water. Nick's position soon came under fire as well, causing him to flee further into the cave systems. Judy had no choice but to fall back too. She dove into the spring and swam as fast as her body permitted her to. She could still hear the bullets zipping into the waters around her. She opened her eyes to see flashlight beams swaying across the surface of the water. They disappeared for a moment, but other lights seemed to be approaching. Judy could not hold her breath for much longer. She either died under water or emerged to be shot. Just when options seemed exhausted, something grabbed Judy by her neck. It furiously pulled her out of the water, causing her to flail and gasp for air. Judy was then dragged into the darkness. As much as she wanted to scream, her fears of alerting the ZBI agents outweighed those of her kidnapper.

She winced from the pain of strong digits digging into the back of her neck. The creature then released Judy as abruptly as it had snatched her. She tumbled against the ground and frantically reached for her flashlight. Her anxiety intensified as she heard the grumbling sounds of her kidnapper. "Stay back!" she warned fruitlessly. Judy gripped her flashlight and turned it on. Her light blinded the pale, yet dirtied beast that had seized her. It grunted in response and stumbled back, using its arms to shield its face. Judy backed against the wall and trembled.

"Get that light out of my face!" whispered the being. "If I wanted to kill you, I would've done it by now." Judy slowly lowered the flashlight. "Thank you," winced the male being. He lowered his arms, revealing the face of a mammal Judy had never seen before. She believed him to be some sort of mutant, with brown fur solely atop his head and around his face. His large forearms were fuzzy and dirtied, much like his legs. He was dressed in a ragged, stained garb and pants. His bright, hazel eyes met Judy's purple ones. "You're not with them, are you? You don't have a spitter."

Judy raised a brow, "A spitter?"

"You know," The creature made his hand into the shape of a gun. "Pow...pow."

"Oh, you mean a gun. No I don't have one. Not on me right now. I'm Officer Judy Hopps of the Zootopia Police Department."

The creature grew suspicious and crawled back, "Who sent you?"

"I'm here on my own accord. My partner and I came to investigate these caverns."

He eased up, "Good. Those hunters won't be able to catch our scent this far into the caves. We will stay here until dawn and then move from there."

Judy raised a brow, "I'm sorry...but...but what are you?"

He turned, "You really don't know?" Judy shook her head. "I'm the first of my kind that you've ever seen, aren't I?" Judy nodded. "I'm what is known as...a human."

"A what?" quirked Judy.

He sighed, "Now is not the time for such a explaining. Just know that I won't kill you unless you cross me. They hunting you too?"

"Not necessarily," Judy shrugged.

"But they'll kill you if they find you down here?"

"Probably."

The human chuckled, "Then you are no different than I right now." He sat beside the bunny and still towered over her. He stretched out his hand, prompting Judy to flinch. "It's just a handshake." Judy obliged as he said, "They call me Jason. Have you seen my friend, David? He looks much like myself except much older. He and I were sent to gather spring water for the others when the shooting started. We've used these caves for years and never had trouble until now."

Judy grew somber, "I'm sorry...but I believe your friend has been killed."

Jason calmly nodded, "Oh. I see. He never was a fast runner." The sounds of footsteps echoed through one of the caverns. "Get behind me!" he effortlessly pushed Judy against the wall and picked up a stone to defend himself.

"Carrots?" worried Nick as he snuck through.

He gasped at the sight of Jason, who was ready to bash him when Judy yelped. "No! He's my friend!"

Jason dropped the stone as Nick quickly backed away, "What the heck is that thing?"

"Easy Nick, this is Jason." calmed Judy.

"You named it?!" gulped Nick.

"No!" snapped Judy. "He told me his name."

"Of course he did. Jason the...ummm what kind of animal are you?"

"I'm no animal," he replied.

"He's a human." said Judy. "Whatever that is."

"Hello," nodded Jason.

Nick gave a terrified wave, "Hey there." He slapped himself out of his timid daze. "I guess you're the reason for the whole ZBI coverup."

"ZBI?" wondered Jason.

"The _hunters_ ," explained Judy.

"They've been killing my people for years." admitted Jason. "We-"

 ** _BANG! BANG!  
_**  
Muzzle flashes could be seen from a far away tunnel. "No," worried Jason. "They've blocked off my way back in."

"But our way OUT should be free," thought Nick. He gave a salute. "Well, Jason. It was nice meeting you and nearly dying. It's been a real slice. Thanks for the PTSD and goodbye!"

"Wait," said Judy. Nick stopped with a roll of his eyes. "He's coming with us."

"What?!"

"We can't just leave him to die."

Nick pulled Judy aside, "Judy...our government must have a logical reason for wanting him dead. We don't know anything about him! Where he's from...what he's done."

"Those are things we'll never find out if he's killed." asserted Judy with a stomp of her foot. "We took an oath to protect and serve-"

"Animals." corrected Nick. "Protect and serve ANIMALS. Like your new buddy just said, he's no animal."

"He's a living creature and he will have the same rights we do."

Nick groaned, "Judy! There's no going back from the consequences of this!"

Judy stood tall, "I'm sorry, but I can't just leave him." She turned, "Can you climb, Jason?" The man nodded. "Good. You can help us up to that rope near the hole."

"OVER THERE!" yelled a ZBI agent. Bullets came zipping at the three of them. Jason didn't waste a moment and immediately grabbed both animals. He held them close and ran throughout the caverns.

"Hold on!" he exclaimed.

A tiger cut them off at the other side and opened fire, forcing Jason to slide away. Nick and Judy gripped onto Jason's smelly clothing while he climbed up the rope. Bullets struck just under them, prompting Nick to yell. "Faster!" Jason hauled himself over the ledge and dropped the mammals. Just as he did so, the boar agent struck Jason with his hoof. Much to Judy's admiration, Jason used his strength to grab the boar by his tusks and throw him into the hole. The boar went screaming down and crashed into some of the tiger agents.

Judy quickly recovered and ran for her car. "This way!"

Nick waved his hands at the agents, "Over here!" They fired and he rolled, causing the bullets to strike against Judy's license plate and make it illegible.

The boar recovered from his fall and called in, "This is Tusking to HQ! One of the targets has escaped the hole! It is on foot and moving into Sahara Square! Two mammals are with the target. I didn't have time to make out their species, but I know there are two!"

Lydia replied, "I want reinforcements inbound and this abomination terminated now!"

"Go! Go! Go!" urged Judy while Nick squeezed Jason into the backseat of their car. Nick quickly slammed the door and leapt for the passenger's seat. Judy took the wheel and floored the gas pedal.

The car skidded out of the investigation site, kicking up sand in all directions. Nick's eyes widened as he looked out of his window. "Carrots!"

Judy turned to see two more agents stationed near the street corner. They aimed their rifles and opened fire. "GET DOWN!" yelled Judy. She swerved as bullets blasted through the windshield and back windows. Shards of glass showered across the vehicle's floor while Judy swerved again.

"Oh my god!" braced Nick as bullets struck against the seat cushion, shredding the material to pieces.

"Hang on, everyone!" Judy drifted onto the highway and sped away.

Lydia Furwell sat at her desk at the ZBI Headquarters. She calmly sipped her tea while an agent urgently stepped in. "Ma'am," he began.

"Yes?" inquired the tigress with a twitch of her white ear. "The target escaped with help and was last seen driving out of Sahara Square."

Lydia was a master at containing her rage, and remained stone-faced while anger festered within her. "This is most unfortunate news. We must alert the mayor that we have a crisis on our hands. So long as that monstrosity lives, no one in Zootopia is safe. Dispatch our agents to investigate all leads. I want that human terminated. And check the citywide camera systems for any clues."

"What will you do, ma'am?" asked her agent.

Lydia stood up. "Prep my car for a ride to Savannah Central. I'd like to meet with someone. My intuition leads me to believe I know who our troublemakers are."


	4. Chapter 4 - Perilous Pursuit

**Chapter: 4 Perilous Pursuit**

Judy's car roared through the tunnels. The bunny kept her foot flooring the gas pedal while Nick looked through the rearview mirrors. He sighed and wiped the sweat from his furry brows. "I think we lost them."

 ** _BAKOW!  
_**  
A bullet struck the car's left taillight and startled the group. "Think again," worried Judy. "Left lane!"

Two black cars attempted to flank Judy. Each passenger rolled down the right window and opened fire on the vehicle. Judy put her head down again as Nick sunk into his seat. "Look out!"

Jason grunted in the backseat. "I barely have any room back here!"

"Deal with it," jeered Nick. "Unless you'd like to jump out."

 ** _CRASH!  
_**  
Three bullets smashed right through the rear quarter window. Shattered glass rained onto Jason as he braced for the worst. "Oh my God," gulped Judy. Her orchid eyes widened at the sight of a ZBI blockade at the end of the tunnel. Muzzle flashes illuminated the darkness, and the hood of her car was soon battered with bullets.

"Hard right!" pointed Nick. "Take maintenance tunnel 7C!"

Judy tugged the wheel with a grunt and drove directly into the maintenance tunnel. She drifted too far, and the right side of the car scraped against a concrete wall before straightening. "That'll need a paint job," groaned Judy.

"Your car just got pumped with bullets and you are worried about a paint job?!" exclaimed Nick. They exited the tunnel and proceeded along a forested cliffside. One of the ZBI cars pursued, unleashing whatever bullets the agents' guns still possessed. By this point, every window and mirror in Judy's car had been obliterated. The powerful nighttime breeze could be heard amidst the overwhelming tatters of gunfire. "Slow down," warned Nick while pointing at the approaching cliff. "Slow down!"

Judy didn't have enough time to break and quickly spun the wheel. The car skidded mere feet from the guardrails. Unfortunately, this turn exposed one of the car's front wheels to an incoming bullet. There was a loud blast, and the car tilted forward as sparks flew. The ZBI driver had misjudged his speed while attempting to get his partner a good shot. As a result, he crashed into the edge of the guardrail and went plummeting several hundred feet below.

An eerie silence filled the cliffside. "Is that the last of them?" panted Nick while tightly gripping what remained of the seat.

"I don't know," admitted Judy. Her ears twitched as she listened to the sad sounds of the car's dying engine. "We need to get home quick."

Nick's eyes widened when he observed headlights emerging from the tunnel. "How about quicker than quick?"

Judy accelerated again, forcing her critically-damaged car to skid its way back to the city. Meanwhile, the rest of the ZBI vehicles parked at the cliffside, believing that Judy and her friends had driven over the edge.

Perhaps it was this alleged crash that allowed Judy to gain enough distance to end the pursuit. Much to Judy's misfortune, her car had sustained so much damage that it eventually broke down. "No," Judy gripped the wheel and steered the car just out of a traffic camera's range. "No no!" She slammed her paw on the dashboard.

"Oh this is great," scoffed Nick. "Just terrific." He sulked against the back of the seat and leaned at the sound of a phone dialing. "Now what are you doing?"

"Getting us a limo." said Judy while awaiting the dial tone. "Yes, hello? It's the godmother. Tell Mr. Big that I need a pickup near Flurry Street. Keep things discrete. I need a driver that will not question our motives...Alright...Understood...Thank you."

"Do you hear yourself?" asked Nick as she hung up the phone. "What are you, a smuggler?"

"It's the only way to ditch the car and get back to the apartment," said Judy.

Nick facepalmed, "Judy. Those agents almost killed us. Some of them probably died in that car crash. All of this is because of that thing in the backseat. I warned you that getting involved would be trouble. You'd better pray we weren't identified."

Judy glowered at his jeers and impatiently awaited the limo. "Just keep your head down, Jason."

"Yeah, Jason." mocked Nick with his arms crossed. "Keep your head down. That will magically make everything better."

"Would you stop?" snapped Judy.

"No!" argued Nick as he tightened his crossed arms. "It's as if you don't even weigh in consequences. You think this is a game? Like we're living in some whimsical cartoon world where the bad guys sing a little song and do a little dance? NO! These agents will actually kill us!" Nick shook his head at Judy. "You poor, unfortunate soul."

Ten minutes had passed when a limo soon arrived with a familiar jaguar behind the wheel. Judy was the first to get out of the car and wave, "Mr. Manchas."

"Officer Hopps," he smiled. "It's good to see you again."

"Likewise," huffed Judy. "I just wish it was under better circumstances."

Manchas cringed at the sight of the bullet-riddled car. "I can only imagine what trouble you've been mixed up in."

"I promise I'll explain someday," said Judy. "But for now I need you to trust me and avert your eyes from what we place in the backseat."

"Not a problem, Judy." nodded Manchas while looking the other way. "It's the least I can do after I almost killed you and Nick last year."

Judy opened her dented door and whispered, "Time to go. Just keep moving and get in the limo." Jason quietly obliged and was relieved to know he had more room to rest. Nick silently got into the limo and planted himself in a seat."

Judy tapped Manchas on the shoulder. "We're all clear, let's go." The drive was as silent as possible. No one spoke another word, for each was battling his or her own conflicted thoughts. Manchas had safely dropped them off at the apartment complex, allowing Nick and Judy to exit. They helped Jason to his feet and he followed them towards the complex. Judy yawned, "The sun will be coming up in a couple of hours. Just stay in the shadows, Jason. Be light on your feet."

Jason crept up the stairs and followed the animals to their apartment. Judy quickly unlocked the door and ushered him inside. She shut the door with a sigh of relief and watched as Nick immediately made for the television. He angrily scoured the channels until he found the news network. A headline reading: _BREAKING NEWS: Mysterious Gunshots_.

A reporter began saying, "Residents living in Sahara Square and Tundratown have reported hearing intense gunfire throughout the streets. Such sounds have been coupled with a furious car chase. This amateur video was captured by a bystander from her hotel room. The screen then showed shaky cellphone footage of the pursuit. Luckily, it only showed one of the ZBI vehicles screeching down the street.

Nick shook his head with a sneer, "Look at this...Look at THIS!" He growled.

"Calm down," intoned Judy.

"Calm down?!" snapped Nick. "There's going to be an investigation, Judy! It's only a matter of time before they figure out we are involved. How do we even know we can trust this human thing? Maybe the ZBI wants him dead for good reason. I will not be the wrongdoer here. Not again. I gave up that life when I put on the badge."

Judy looked over at Jason, who was uncomfortably seated in the undersized couch. It was only a matter of time before the man broke the small mammal-sized furniture. Before Judy could refute, the news reporter continued, "This just in. Mayor Snoutmeyer has delivered a statement alongside head of the ZBI, Lydia Furwell."

Judy's heart sank when the headline changed from _Mysterious Gunshots_ to _Act of Terror_. Mayor Snoutmeyer could be seen at a podium with Lydia at his side. The pig spoke into the microphone, "I assure you all that the situation is...to my extent of knowledge...a contained crisis. The head of the ZBI will now speak about last night's incidents."

Lydia took to the podium, "Thank you. Mammals of Zootopia, we have a serious situation on our paws. We believe that a minimum of three terrorists are to blame for the shootings that began in Sahara Square. These suspects opened fire on authorities and then fled. Agents of the ZBI were in pursuit, but have yet to capture the criminals." The press erupted into a tizzy until Lydia roared them into silence. "We must remain calm! We must be ever-vigilant. Under my authority and the approval of the mayor, Zootopia is now under a level one state of emergency. Citizens are advised to remain indoors until the alert has been lifted. All police officers are to report to the Savannah Central Police Department and await further instruction. That is all."

Nick turned to Judy. "Terrorism?! I don't believe this!"

"Neither do I," said Judy. "Lydia's using her story as a coverup."

Nick grew flustered, "Would you stop with this? I meant that we're involved in what the government believes to be a terrorist plot. We don't know what on Earth we are dealing with." He turned to Jason. "You! What did you do to make them shoot at you?"

"I survived," affirmed Jason. "You blame me as if I had a choice in all this. Your race has been hunting my kind for years."

Judy worried. "This cannot be,"

Jason nodded, "I was born running from the hunters. I have been hiding in the shadows and scavenging for nourishment ever since I was a child. I have watched my father die...and my mother. My brothers...my sisters...All because of your race."

"If what you say is true, do you seek revenge?" asked Nick.

"Revenge," scoffed Jason with a shake of his head. "When did that ever work? I seek peace I want what remains of my family and I to be safe from harm. I seek to no longer live as a filthy outcast that is hunted like game. Killing those who kill my kind would not change anything."

Judy was about to speak when her radio sounded from the kitchen counter. "HOPPS!" exclaimed Chief Bogo. "WILDE! Didn't you hear Furwell's announcement? I need all officers to report to the station NOW!"

"Oh no," worried Judy. "What do we do about-"

"We have to go," said Nick while reaching for his uniform. He brushed the remaining glass shards out of his fur and stretched himself out. "We can act like last night never happened. We just have to play it cool."

Judy sighed and left to change into her uniform. When she returned, she looked up at Jason and said, "You can stay in my room. It's not the biggest, but there's only one window in it. I covered it with a curtain so just stay away. We're going to find out what is going on and will be back as soon as possible. Food is in the fridge if you get hungry." Jason raised a brow in honest confusion. Judy pointed at the refrigerator, "The big metal thing. Yep. Just open it and eat whatever-" Jason easily opened the miniature fridge and began gorging himself on the vegetables within. "You want..." finished Judy.

"Can we just go?" snipped Nick, prompting Judy to start rushing out.

"Don't open the door for anyone," warned Judy before leaving.

Nick glared at her, "Did you lay out some newspapers for him?"

"Very funny,"

"I'm serious,"

Judy sighed, "I'm sure he can use a toilet...right?"

"I don't know," shrugged the cynical fox. "How many toilets did you see in those caves?"

Judy quivered with disgust, "Duly noted."

The mammals departed from the apartment complex and began their walk across the quiet streets. The stillness was discomforting and Judy's tiredness only fed her anxiety. She remained focused and kept up with Nick. Judy breathed deeply to remove her fears of all that was to come. She focused on each of her steps as she neared the police department.


	5. Chapter 5 - Fugitives

**Chapter: 5 Fugitives**

Judy could barely calm herself as each of her steps brought her closer to the police station. Nick was just as on edge himself. Here he was trying to calm Judy down, when he had to use every bit of strength to keep himself from cracking. An unknown and possibly dangerous creature was dwelling in their apartment. Just what was Jason and why were the authorities hunting him? To make matters even worse, Lydia and the rest of the ZBI had publicized some form of terror threat. Such an announcement only further befuddled Nick, making him question as to whether it was a false flag or if Jason was actually a terrorist. If it was indeed the latter, Nick and his partner would be apprehended as conspirators. But what if Judy was right? What if there was more to this, and that coming clean meant getting killed? He shook off such heart-pounding thoughts and proceeded to get the door for Judy.

"Thanks," she sighed. "Alright..." She whispered. "We can do this. We'll just keep calm and get back to the apartment as soon as possible."

Nick grumbled, "And then what?"

"I'm working on it," Judy sharply whispered. Officers could be seen clustering into the station's lobby. Many were discussing the recent happenings among a storm of ZBI agents. Each agent wore a black suit and navy blue tie. ID tags swayed on their collars and Judy caught a glimpse of a firearm tucked under a belt. In case she had not discovered so last night, these agents meant business.

Clawhauser's voice startled Nick and Judy half to death. "Thank goodness you two are alright! I was so worried that you guys might have been involved in that car chase."

Judy laughed nervously from behind the receptionist's counter. "Oh yeah. I couldn't imagine being in such a situation."

Clawhauser gulped with a shake of his flabby head, "Oh no. Please...PLEASE tell me you have nothing to do with this."

"Of course we don't." She gave Nick a nudge, gesturing for him to support her statement.

He scoffed. "It's no use, Carrots." He pointed at Clawhauser, who had most certainly deduced the truth.

The chubby cheetah controlled his anxiety and whispered, "I knew there was no way you'd just let that investigation go. Plus, your droopy ears make it easy to call your bluff." He leaned in, "What were you two thinking? What in the world is going on?"

"We can't tell you." said Judy. "Not here. We-"

"Hopps!" bellowed Chief Bogo from the upper level. "Wilde!" They looked up at the buffalo as he beckoned them upstairs with a point of his hoof. Judy's heart sank. The idea of the chief yelling her name in such a way flashed her back to when she nabbed Duke Weaselton. She snapped herself back into the current moment and joined Nick in the elevator.

"Judy," intoned Nick while gritting his teeth. "We have to come clean."

"What?" snapped the bunny.

"I'm serious. Before this gets any worse. If we're lucky, we might be pardoned for turning him in."

"I'm not giving up Jason," stamped Judy. "Not until I know all of the facts. In order to-"

"Stop talking, stop talking!" whispered Nick as the elevator doors opened. They entered the assembly room to see rows of police officers awaiting orders. Normally this room brought excitement to Nick and Judy as they awaited new assignments. Now this room felt like a death trap designed to make them crack under pressure. Much to their misconceptions, Nick and Judy found that the officers were uninterested in their presences. All of them were preoccupied amongst one another, speaking about last night's news.

The two approached Chief Bogo's office and gave the door a knock. "Enter," he said.

Judy cleared her throat. "You wanted to see us, chief?"

Bogo peered from his reading glasses. "But of course. Who else would I trust to lead the investigation?" Judy felt the burdens of her assumptions and fears being lifted off of her. Bogo hadn't a clue about last night's events. Even Nick calmed down as the chief carried on. "Now we've got reports coming in from Sahara Square and Tundratown. Eyewitnesses reported seeing multiple cars speed through the emptied streets while gunfire lit up the night. I don't know what's going on, but it must be a serious threat if the ZBI has gotten involved. I am sure that you have heard the terrorist statement and have seen the amount of agents walking around. Whatever is going on needs to remain as a contained situation. We cannot lose Zootopia to mass hysteria like we almost did last year." Bogo shook his head with a snort, "Terrorists...From where?"

"That's what we're here to find out," nodded Judy.

"I admire your focus." smirked Bogo as he held up to separate lists. "I've divided our forces into two teams. Hopps, you will take the officers listed on your sheet to investigate happenings in Tundratown. Wilde, you will lead the rest to search Sahara Square. I want this threat detected, isolated, and eradicated. You have your assignments. Any questions?"

Nick looked over his list, "No sir."

"None," concurred Judy.

Bogo pointed outwards with his hoof, "Then you are dismissed. Best of luck to you."

Suddenly, the door swung open. In came Lydia Furwell who speedily said, "Cancel whatever orders you've just given to these two."

"Pardon?" Bogo removed his glasses and raised a brow.

Lydia was flanked by two, white-furred, wolf agents. Each displayed a stern demeanor as their leader spoke. Lydia glared at Judy and then returned her gaze to Bogo. "I have reason to believe that these officers are part of a growing conspiracy within our city. They must be taken into custody for further interrogation."

"What?" scoffed Nick.

"Normally I wouldn't agree with Officer Wilde," began Bogo. "But I must concur. What are you talking about?"

Lydia further approached Bogo, "My agents reported that they pursued two small mammals last night. I believe these perpetrators to be Officers Hopps and Wilde." Judy felt her overwhelming nerves returning. She shot Nick a startled glance and attempted to read his mind. Both were of the same thought process, each trying to figure out how to escape the imminent consequences.

Bogo snorted proudly and stood up. "Now you listen here, Ms. Furwell."

"No, you listen." intoned Lydia. "I outrank you."

"I know," assured Bogo. "I just don't care." He aggressively pointed at Nick and Judy. "These two are the best officers I have. They would never commit an act against the government, especially one including terrorism!"

"One as proud as yourself might think so," agreed Lydia. "However, this is not the case. My men have discovered an abandoned, bullet-riddled car near the borders of Tundratown. Forensic teams have found the fur of both a rabbit and a fox within the vehicle."

"Do you know how many rabbits and foxes are in this city?" replied Bogo.

Lydia sneered, "I do. But just how many of those rabbits and foxes know about the pit in Sahara Square? What other duo would be interested in its contents? If the license plate was legible, I'd have your answer by now." As if on cue, Lydia's smartphone soon rang. She angrily picked it up, "Hello?"

Nick slightly began to sneak towards the door and motioned for Judy to do the same. They only got to reach a few more steps before Bogo looked over at them again. The room was so silent that Lydia's conversation could be heard completely. "We're sending you traffic camera footage right now. Please stand by." Nick's paw slowly drifted to his sidearm while Lydia and Bogo stared at the incoming photo. It slowly loaded, revealing the sign to Flurry Street. As more of the picture emerged, the abandoned car could be seen in the darkness. Finally, the photo exposed a clean shot at Nick and Judy emerging from the vehicle.

Bogo's eyes widened, "It can't be."

Nick didn't waste a moment, quickly unholstering his pistol and firing it blindly at the ceiling. The gunshots rang out throughout the room, startling the group and giving Nick time to shove Judy out of the door. They toppled out of the office just as Lydia's agents returned fire. One of the wolves slipped through the swinging door and Nick shot him in the arm. "Run!" exclaimed the fox.

The two bypassed the assembly room and darted down the hall. "What were you thinking?!" panted Judy.

"I trust Bogo, not Furwell." replied Nick while sprinting. "If there is a secret she's protecting, it's almost certain she'd have us killed!"

"So you believe me now?" asked Judy.

"I never said that!" refuted Nick.

 ** _BANG!  
_**  
A bullet struck the lampshade beside Judy, sending fragmented glass darting against the wall. "Get to the stairs!" pointed Judy. It was then that a voice blasted on the intercom, "All units! This is Lydia Furwell! Officers Hopps and Wilde have turned on us and are headed down the east corridor. Subdue by any means!"

An alarm sounded just as Nick and Judy ran downstairs. "We need to get back to Jason and leave the city," urged Judy.

"You think?" quipped Nick.

The lower doors were kicked open by an officer. "Up there!" she said while pointing her gun.

"Back up! Back up!" Nick pulled Judy upwards while officers gunned for them. The two made for the third level and shut the door behind them. Judy then leapt for the fire extinguisher, smashed it, and grabbed hold of the device's hose. Together, she and Nick tied the hose around the door's handle to keep it shut. "That won't hold forever," worried Nick.

"Do you think we can make it to the chopper on the roof?" thought Judy.

Nick's eyes widened. "That helicopter is for larger mammals!"

"You got a better idea?"

"I hate when you ask that," Nick growled while reluctantly obliging.

"Come on," beckoned Judy. "We can use the maintenance stairwell to-" She silenced herself as several officers emerged from around the corner. She and Nick took cover behind a filing cart as they passed by.

"Chief," called in an officer. "There's no sign of them. Moving to next level."

These words were almost music to Judy's ears if another officer hadn't rounded the other corner. He gasped and immediately opened fire. "Contact!"

"Get in!" Nick hoisted Judy into the filing cart. He then slipped in and kicked off of the wall to gain momentum. The cart rolled down the hallway as bullets bombarded it, sending paper sputtering in every direction. The cart crashed into the maintenance doorway and the duo speedily made for the stairs. Lucky for them, the crash had lodged the cart between the doorway, buying them time. Unfortunately, someone else had already beat them to the stairs.

Judy's ear twitched to hear a gun click beside her. She looked up with a gasp as panther officer took aim. "Down on the ground! Now!" Judy froze up alongside Nick. "NOW!" reiterated the panther. The two obliged and began to place their paws behind their heads. The panther then called in, "Units be advised. I have both suspects in-"

 ** _THWAP!  
_**  
Someone pistol-whipped the panther unconscious. As he fell over, Nick and Judy realized their savior to be Brock. The husky cringed at his work, "I sure hope you two are actually innocent. Otherwise I'm in big trouble."

"Brock, am I happy to see you!" rejoiced Judy while Nick sighed in relief.

"The others may be fooled," griped Brock. "But I know better. You two would never be part of a terrorist plot."

"I'm starting to think there isn't even one." pondered Judy.

Nick quickly interrupted her, "We need to get off grid and the roof chopper is our only means of escape."

Brock nodded, "I see. You do realize that vehicle is for-"

"Larger animals," finished Judy. "We'll manage."

"How?" asked Brock.

"Great question," sighed Nick.

Brock gave a shrug and called in, "All units! This is Officer Brock Barker. Suspects are headed down the maintenance stairwell towards the first floor. Cut them off!" He smiled at the bunny. "That'll buy you some more time, Hopps." Brock then led Nick and Judy up to the rooftop.

While the men shut the door, Judy ran for the enormous helicopter. A powerful breeze rustled against her body, causing her ears to flop back. She leapt to the helicopter's massive seat and began to start it up. The tiny bunny had to continuously jump in order to press each individual button. With each press, she thanked herself for enrolling in flight school several months ago. However, no amount of training could prepare her to pilot such a large craft.

"Come on, Judy." she motivated herself. "If you can drive an old train, you can fly this chopper!"

"They're coming!" warned Brock as he listened to his radio. Nick hopped into the passenger's seat just as the rotor blade began to spin. The engines livened, causing the vehicle to rumble from the inside. Brock reached in, "Give me your phones!"

"What?!" Judy yelled over the engine's roar.

"Give me your phones so you won't be traced!" They handed them to Brock, who immediately threw the devices to the floor and stomped on them. He then handed Judy his personal cellular, "Take it! I have a backup. Stay in contact and go!"

Judy gave the husky a quick hug, "Thank you."

The door behind them began to clamor. "GO!" ordered Brock. Judy and Nick worked together to pull on the chopper's huge controls. Soon the vehicle was hovering in a slow ascension. The police and ZBI agents kicked the door down and stormed the rooftop. Thinking fast, Brock threw his gun across the floor and fell over. He then spoke to his fellow officers, "Nick had me at gunpoint! I couldn't stop them." The husky was unsure if his acting had sold the officers until one of them helped him to his feet.

Lydia herself stepped out onto the roof and roared, "Shoot that helicopter down!"

Bullets struck against the chopper as Judy and Nick tried to maintain control. Sparks flared with each strike on the vehicle's metal. Brock watched nervously. "Come on," he whispered to himself. "Come on, Hopps. Come on." The chopper swayed rigorously until Judy established control. They had escaped, but the vehicle was badly damaged from gunfire. One of the shots had struck a vital area, and the helicopter was trailing smoke. Judy did her best to maintain control while Nick held her up to the dashboard. Amidst the possibility of imminent death and the realization that they had become fugitives, all Judy could think about...was Jason.


	6. Chapter 6 - Friends in Need

**Chapter: 6 Friends in Need**

"Hold it steady!" panicked Nick. "Hold it steady!"

"I'm trying!" growled Judy as she tugged back on the joystick. "Why don't you help me?"

"Because I'm too busy trying to maintain altitude!" he shot back.

The mammals held on as their damaged helicopter dipped and spiraled out of control. "Watch the building!" He lunged from his controls and helped Judy steer leftward. The helicopter just narrowly missed a skyscraper, causing those within it to scream and take cover. Inertia weighed heavily upon the two and they were soon pressed against the bullet-tattered seats. The chopper skimmed across the waters surrounding the city until Judy pulled back on the controls. She gained as much altitude as she could while engine failure alarms bleeped around her. The vehicle lost altitude again and its tail struck against the mountaintop. Nick and Judy clung for dear life as the helicopter tumbled down the steep mountainside. Its rotor blades crunched and spun off while the body scraped against the jagged rocks. One of the doors was ripped clean off, causing Nick and Judy to roll out and plummet.

Nick flopped against the rocks first, cutting his forearm and yelping with pain. Judy landed on top of him and rolled to evade the incoming chopper. Whatever remained of the aircraft continued its crumbling mountain descent. The fuselage remnants ignited and the helicopter exploded upon striking the mountain's base. The boom echoed upwards and beyond the canyons. Nick and Judy stood on the cliffside, panting and peering down at the scorched crash site. Their uniforms were ripped and their furs disheveled. "Carrots," huffed Nick. "You're lucky we're best friends. I don't almost die thrice in a day for ANYONE you know."

Judy forced a smile. Nick's ceaseless humor was much needed in her life and times like this proved it. "Nick, I'm so sorry for all of this."

"Hey," he smirked. "Now's no time for apologies. Did you save that phone Brock gave you?" Judy quickly pulled out the scratched cellphone from her back pocket. "Awesome," He took hold of it and began to dial.

"Who are you calling?"

"My son," he winked. It took Judy a moment to realize who he was speaking of.

Nick sat on the rocks awaiting his contact's answer. A deep voice soon replied, "Hello?"

"Finnick," sighed Nick. "Am I happy to hear from you."

"Happy? HAPPY?! I just heard the news on the radio! The fuzz got you and your bunny friend labeled as terrorists. Just what kind of trouble are you actually in?"

"Nothing that serious," he laughingly assured. "Just think of the time we scammed that leopard in the Rainforest District."

"This is NOTHING like that!" growled Finnick. "Now I'm smart enough to know you ain't done nothing wrong this time. Where are you?"

Nick scoffed, "Like I said, think of the time we scammed that leopard in the Rainforest District."

"How is this related? We scammed that fool and his goons chased us. We had to hide out near the mountains to-..." It finally clicked. "Ohhhh. I got you."

Nick nodded, "There you go. Use that brain of yours. We'll be at that same hiding spot. Now I'm hanging up to save battery. Stay safe and-"

"Wait!" exclaimed Judy as she grabbed the phone, startling Nick in the process. "Finnick? Are you still there? I need you to make a pick up for me."

Nick's green eyes widened, "Judy...Don't you dare say what I think you're going to-"

"I need you to stop at our apartment and pick up a friend of ours. His name is Jason and he's in major trouble if he stays there. Just hurry, pick him up and get right back to us."

"I got you," said Finnick before hanging up.

Judy sighed in relief, only to see the look on her enraged friend's face. "Do you know why I called Finnick? To save us. To get YOU AND I out of here. After everything, you're still trying to save this human. Not only that, you're willing to put my oldest friend at risk. You didn't even tell him what kind of thing Jason is. What kind of trouble he's bound for. You just exploited him." Nick pointed an accusing claw at her.

"I-" Judy found herself at a loss for words. "Nick..."

"Nick what?" jeered the fox. "It's bad enough that I'm stuck in this plot. Now you've dragged Finnick into this. You know damn well they're going to raid our apartment first. Finnick and Jason are both as good as dead."

"Don't say that," said Judy.

Nick facepalmed, "Don't you care about what happens to your friends? Your real friends, not just some thing you met in a hole."

"He's a human," sternly corrected Judy.

Nick glared at her, "I don't care! I care about you and staying alive! We know nothing about this guy and you're willing to lay down your life for him!"

Judy clenched her paws and took a deep breath. "We're police officers, Nick. Risking our lives for total strangers is exactly what we swore to do."

Nick remained solemn, "We are not officers anymore. As far as Zootopia knows, we are traitors...and terrorists." Nick began to trudge off.

"Then we must and will prove everyone otherwise. Just as we have done time and time again."

Nick stopped in his sandy tracks, "Yeah...just like that. Just come on. This heat is killing me and we're a long ways from the hideout."

Judy walked alongside him, sternly staring out across the sands. She had never ventured beyond Zootopia's northern borders before, and frankly, it scared her. A seemingly endless desert was all that rested ahead of her and Nick. Such a setting seemed fitting for her situation. Judy felt outcasted by the world she had come to love. Now she was even at odds with her dear companion, all because she chose to risk everything for an unknown. Yet something in Judy's heart kept her at ease. It calmed her spirits and constantly assured her that she was in the right. She held fast to her faith in Jason's innocence, and that something about the ZBI just wasn't right. She kept telling herself that eventually Nick would come around. Sticking to her beliefs had never failed Judy before. Now she had to believe that such willpower would prove fruitful. With a calm heart and steady pace, Judy followed Nick across the uncharted wastelands beyond Zootopia. She could only hope that Finnick and Jason would be alright.

Hip hop music boomed throughout Finnick's van, causing sporadic vibrations. He tapped his steering wheel to the beat as he approached Nick and Judy's apartment. He cleverly parked in the alleyway behind the complex and then leapt from the elevated seat. The tiny fox folded up his sunglasses and hooked them on his collar. He then retrieved his baseball bat from the backseat and set off.

"Bunny, I don't know what kind a trouble you and Nick got into, but I sure hope it's all worth it." he said under his breath.

Finnick proceeded up the stairs and made his way to the apartment. He'd only been to it once, and that was only to help his friends move in. Since then, the pint-sized conman had been out of work. Scamming Zootopia's citizens was not easy without Nick at his side. It didn't help that his friends were also the city's greatest cops...or at least they were. Finnick had been laying low for some time and while a call for his help seemed random, he was grateful for some excitement again. This little fox had no idea what he had gotten into and nor who was minutes away from meeting him.

He walked down the hallway and his ears twitched as a door opened behind him. "Pssst!" whispered an armadillo. "Do you know what's going on out here?"

Finnick raised a brow and shrugged. "Beats me, bro."

The armadillo quivered with fear, "The news said something about a terrorist plot. Are we even safe?"

"Charlie dear!" called his wife from within the apartment. "Look!"

Charlie glanced back and observed what was beyond his window. "Oh thank heavens. The cops are here, and a lot of them. Looks like we are safe, friend. Friend?" By the time the armadillo turned back, Finnick was already hustling up to the next floor.

"Don't got much time," he worried before knocking on the door. "Hey! Yo Jason! I'm here to get you!" The room remained silent, allowing Finnick to hear the shuffling of authorities entering from the bottom floor. He scoffed with a shake of his head, "Ain't nobody got time for dis." Finnick firmly gripped his bat and hammered at door. He struck just below the knob, causing the door to give in. He then shuffled to the other side and smashed one of the hinges. The door tilted downward, giving Finnick just enough room to squeeze through the tiny entry point. "Jason!" He called again. He shoved his paws in his pockets and kicked at the carpeted floor. "Yo man, I don't what trouble you and the others are in but I'm here to get you-"

 ** _FWOOSH!  
_**  
Jason tackled the tiny fox, disarmed him of the bat, and pinned him against the wall with it. Finnick locked eyes with the human and loosed a scream. "Who are you?" snarled Jason.

"WHAT are YOU?!" yelped Finnick.

Jason stared scornfully at the bat and dropped it. He proceeded to tighten his grip on Finnic's throat. "Are you here to kill me too? What have you done to Judy?"

"You got me all wrong, man!" choked Finnick. "Judy's ma friend! She sent me to get you!"

"Not good enough," growled Jason. "Give me more proof!"

Footsteps echoed from outside, "You don't have time for proof!" warned Finnick. "You gotta come with me now!" Someone threw a flash grenade through the broken door and it rolled across the carpet. "Split!"

 ** _POOF!  
_**  
The grenade went off, nearly blinding and deafening the two. The effects would have been worse had they not taken cover in the kitchen.

 ** _CRASH!  
_**  
A leopard ZBI agent came swinging through the window. He immediately aimed his rifle at Jason, but Finnick threw the baseball bat at his leg. The distraction gave Jason enough time to punch the leopard. "Fire escape!" pointed Finnick. "Go!" The two dashed for the adjacent window and began to slip out. The dazed leopard recovered his assault rifle and fired it at the window.

The rest of the agents smashed down the apartment door. "Breaching! Breaching!" declared the lead trooper. "Kitchen clear. Den clear. Hallway-"

They found the leopard, who was still shooting at the window. "They're on the fire escape! Get'em!"

Finnick hopped onto Jason's back as he slid down to the second floor. Bullets began striking against the ladder, forcing the two to reenter the building. They crashed into a random apartment and tumbled before a family of otters. Luckily, the smoke from gunfire obscured Jason's identity, preventing the otters from seeing what he was. "Out the door!" pointed Finnick. The family panicked with fear as they barged out of the room. A ZBI wolf had just arrived to flank them. Jason grabbed hold of his rifle, and the wolf wildly fired in response. Bullets spread across the hallway, tearing the wallpaper clean off and prompting an array of screams. Jason was able to pry the rifle from the wolf and then smack him across the face with it. He held on to the gun and followed Finnick's direction towards the ground floor.

The tiny fox snapped with an idea. He ran back to the downed wolf and retrieved his bandolier of stun grenades. "Get clear," he said before pulling the pins and tossing it downstairs.

The bandolier flopped onto the shoulder of an agent amidst the mass. His eyes widened and shrieked, "Everybody move!"  
 **  
** ** _BOOM! BANG! KABAM!_**

Sounding like sporadic fireworks, the stun grenades blasted off at varying times. When the dust settled, Finnick and Jason leapt downstairs. Finnick made for the back entrance while Jason kicked a dizzied polar bear for good measure. They ran outside and slipped through the alleyway towards the van. Finnick cursed with a growl, "We're cornered."

"Maybe not," Jason handed Finnick a stun grenade he pocketed from the polar bear. "You seem to know how to make good use of these boomers."

Finnick eagerly took the grenade and nestled his paws on the pin. "I like the way you think, you...uh...Whatever you are." He pulled the pin and tossed the stun grenade down the alleyway. Once it sounded, Finnick immediately pointed towards his van. "Run! NOW!" Jason dove for the back while Finnick hopped into the driver's seat. Bullets battered against the door and the rest of the vehicle as Finnick floored the gas pedal. He performed a sharp turn that shifted Jason directly across and into the wall. "You alright back there?"

"Fine," he groaned. "How do you plan to get away?"

Finnick chuckled in his deep voice. "This ain't the first time I've run from the heat. I got some tricks." Finnick's voice baffled Jason. He wondered how such a tiny fuzzball could produce such bellowing speech. His inquiries were ended with the repetitive strikes of bullets against the van. "Hang on!" He made a hard right into a tunnel and then swerved towards a roped off area. He drove around the boundaries, making them appear undisturbed. The fox sighed in relief while shutting off his headlights, "Crooks used to use this tunnel to sneak out of the city. Coppers and the rest of Zootopia just think it's an abandoned construction zone. You can relax, dude. We clear."

Jason sat up and rested his head back, "These monsters never stop. How many spitters do they have?"

"Spitters?" Finnick quirked. He looked back to see Jason move his hands into the shape of a gun. "Oh you mean guns. Like how you call boomers grenades. Man, you crazy. So what are you? Some kinda alien that escaped government experimenting?"

"I'm a human," he intoned.

"What the heck is that?" laughed Finnick.

"Something way before your time," jeered Jason. "Where are we going?"

"Nick and Judy are in the same boat you is," explained Finnick. "The fuzz want'em dead for helping you. Got some whole terrorist bullcrap going on to cover it up. We gonna pick them up and disappear. Get rest while you can, bro. You'll need it for whatever is going down." Jason gave a brief nod and cradled himself into a ball. Thirty-three years of life had made him accustomed to such a posture. His exhaustion had caught up with him and he was able to drift into slumber within seconds. Finnick took another look back at the human and grumbled, "Alien. Definitely alien."

Chief Bogo was pacing in his office when Lydia Furwell came tromping in. The buffalo turned, "What news do you bring?"

"My men raided the terrorist's apartment and engaged another criminal who may be in on it."

"Those so-called 'terrorists' are my best officers." reiterated Bogo. "I believe they may be framed."

"I second that," intruded Brock. The husky immediately regretted his words when Lydia turned towards the doorway.

The tigress glared at him, "Do you? Chief Bogo, who is this uncouth cop?"

"Officer Brock Barker," identified Bogo. "He is a good friend of those you call terrorists."

Lydia raised a brow, "Barker...Barker...Ah yes. You're the officer they call the hybrid. Have you any information that could lead us to officers Hopps and Wilde?"

Brock slowly shook his head, "No ma'am. I was an acquaintance of theirs and nothing more. I tend to be a loner. I get more work done that way."

Lydia seemed suspicious, "Leave us." Brock looked to Bogo, who also motioned for him to leave.

"Please pardon my officer," said the chief. "It seems everyone is on edge around here. Reports came in that the helicopter crashed just beyond the outskirts of Zootopia."

Lydia looked to Bogo, "You stay here. The public needs you here in Savannah Central. I'll see what leads I can salvage from the crash site." She placed a paw on his massive shoulder, "I'm sorry about your officers. Sometimes the people we least expect become our greatest enemies. But putting duty before feeling, can I trust you to make the right decision? If it comes down to it, can I trust you to kill Hopps and Wilde for the sake of Zootopia?" Bogo made a stressful fist and shut his eyes with anguish.

Brock watched from the lobby as Lydia and her agents departed in government vehicles. "Do you think it's all true?" worried Brock. "That Nick and Judy are terrorists?"

Clawhauser leaned over his counter and whispered, "Not by a longshot. Why would they go do a thing like that?"

The husky huffed, "There's way more to this than anyone knows. The question is what. We need to find Nick and Judy before Furwell and her ZBI goons do. Can we trust Chief Bogo?"

Clawhauser nervously chomped on a donut. "I wouldn't talk to chief unless you have absolute proof of their innocence. The same goes for anyone aside from me. My lips are sealed, and not just from the jelly in this donut."

Brock rolled his eyes, "I gave Judy my phone. Luckily, I always have a spare. Has she contacted you?" Clawhauser sadly shook his head, prompting Brock to grow restless and withdraw his second phone. "We've got to help them."

"Careful," warned Clawhauser. "Getting involved might make things worse for Nick and Judy."

Brock sighed, "I know. But I have to try." He proceeded to dial his other number in order to reach Officer Hopps.


	7. Chapter 7 - Humans Never Happened

**Chapter: 7 Humans Never Happened**

Nick had led Judy far across the desert sands beyond Zootopia. After much tiresome trekking, the duo had finally reached an oblong rock formation. It protruded from the ground on an enormous slant, offering a stretch of shade beneath it. Nick was the first to drop to his knees and slide under. The fox felt around the sandy ground until he gripped a hidden hatch. He gave the hatch a powerful tug in order to dislodge it. Dust and sand puffed up in one swift motion, causing Nick to rub his eyes. "In here," he motioned.

Judy crawled under the rock and into the hatch. There she used a rusted ladder to descend underground. Nick helped her in and sealed the hatch above. "What is this place?" asked the bunny.

"A safe house." Nick wiped the dust from the bland walls. "I thought I'd never see this place again. During the days of my former lifestyle, Finnick and I got ourselves mixed in plenty of trouble. As confident as we were in our conning capabilities, it was only a matter of time before we got ourselves deep enough in something. So one day, we took a drive far beyond the city limits and found the perfect spot to build a hideout. It took forever to finish, but eventually the two of us pulled through. From that moment forward, we always hid out here whenever the heat got turned up. Then when things died down, we'd go back to the city and resume business."

"Sneaky foxes," complimented Judy while observing the interior. Cans of food lined the walls while only one canister of water remained.

Two dirtied mattresses were spread across the floor. Nick flopped onto one of them, causing tufts of dust to poof out on impact. "Finnick and I haven't restocked this place since the whole Bellwether fiasco. Luckily we won't have to hide out here long. That's IF Finnick isn't dead."

Judy glared at Nick for his comment. She wanted to scold him, but how could she? He had done nothing wrong. It seemed as though she was the only one complicating things for everyone. She suddenly found selfishness in her own actions and cringed at the thought. Judy had dragged Finnick into a serious crisis all because of her curiosity and care for Jason. Judy remained stressed, wondering how she could sympathize about a creature she barely knew anything about. If he and Finnick had survived, she had questions needing answers.

Judy fell onto the other mattress and stared up at the dusty ceiling. Her nose twitched as she thought deeply on her actions. She removed her badge and frowned at it. Her own city thought she was some kind of terrorist. She felt outcasted and ashamed, but found solace in her badge. Judy recalled what the gold symbol stood for and found confidence in her willpower. To her, everyone was innocent until proven otherwise. She remembered her oath to protect and serve, but found a contradiction. In her efforts to defend Jason, she had endangered her closest friend. Was it really, truly worth it?

She rolled over to see Nick resting. The fox's eyes were closed and his breaths were slow. His paws were folded in with each other and rested on his chest. Judy sighed and said, "I'm sorry." Nick's ear twitched at her words. "I didn't mean for any of this to happen. Yet my selfish pursuit for justice and understanding has only further endangered you. I'm sorry I've put you through all of this."

Nick opened his eyes and turned to face Judy. "Carrots," he began. "I'm used to this life. I'm used to being chased by cops or worse and being forced to hide in stinkholes like this. I'm no hero, and I'm certainly not brave. But I am concerned. I know what it feels like to risk and suffer in this lifestyle. I just never wanted to see you involved in something like this. You deserve better because you are. I guess what I'm trying to say is...I fear more for you than I do for myself. Furwell and her agents can do whatever they please to me, but I won't let them touch you. That's why I feel as I do when I see you getting roped into all of these perilous situations. You're the REAL cop, Carrots. You should never have authorities wanting to bring you in. I get angry because I see you subjecting yourself to more trouble. It's like you never stop looking for it. If it's wrong of me to feel this way, you have my apology."

Judy's brows dipped with lament, "I never meant to cause you more pain, Nick. I appreciate you looking out for me, but I'm not asking you to."

"I know you're not," nodded Nick. "But I took an oath. One to protect and serve. Not just you, but everyone. You became my best friend because you're the only one who's ever believed in me. You've given me so much, so you deserve my unwavering trust. I've been doubting what's going on, Carrots, but I believe you know what you're doing. If this Jason truly is innocent, I'll help you prove it. I never said I liked him, but I'll help you protect him because I trust you. So prove me right."

Judy began to smile, "I'll try."

"Just do it," he smirked. "Then we can all laugh about this after months of intense therapy."

Judy snickered and decided to change the subject. "So I've got to ask. How long were you in here after irking Mr. Big?"

Nick raised a brow, "Huh?"

"Oh don't 'huh' me," she chuckled. "Mr. Big must've been livid after you sold him a skunk butt rug."

"Oh he was," recalled Nick. "Finnick and I hid in here for about two months after that incident. We even-"

 ** _CLANG! CLANG!  
_**  
Someone banged against the safe house hatch, startling the duo. Nick was the first to rise and wave a cautioning paw at Judy. "Stay back," he whispered.

 ** _CLANG!  
_**  
The third knock was loudest and echoed throughout the safe house. Nick gripped a crowbar from under the bed and snuck his way up the ladder. He heard the hatch opening and readied his bar to strike. "Yo!" exclaimed Finnick.

"Good god," panted Nick. "Don't you remember the secret knock?"

"Man I ain't been down here for a year. I don't remember!"

"Well you nearly gave us heart attacks," grumbled Nick. "It's alright, Judy!" he called down. "Our ride is here." The two climbed out and gasped at the sight of Finnick's bullet-riddled van.

Judy gulped, "So getting Jason wasn't any trouble?"

"Nope!" guffawed Finnick. "I got your alien refugee in the back."

Judy quickly sprinted to the back while Nick got in the passenger seat. "Jason?" worried Judy.

The human lit up with joy to see her again. "JUDY!" He hugged her like an eager child. "There were more spitters and even boomers! But Finnick and I were able to get away. I am happy that you are alright."

His mighty arms were squeezing Judy tight. She gasped for air, "I'm glad...you're alright...too." Realizing her hindered breathing, Jason quickly dropped Judy with a gasp and apologized.

Meanwhile, Finnick remained idle in the driver's seat. "Where to?"

"Great question," said Nick as he leaned back in his seat. "Alright, Carrots. What's our next move?"

"We need more time to figure out what's going on," said Judy. "The ZBI will most likely track us here, so we need to disappear again. They'd never expect us to go back to the mainland and that's exactly what we are going to do. Finnick, can you get us to Bunnyburrow?"

"That quaint li'l farm town?" thought Finnick. "No worries! If I take the back roads, I can get us there by midnight. Sit tight, everyone."

Nick looked back again, "Your family's farm?"

"Aside from us, family is all that I will trust right now. If anyone can keep a secret, it's them." Judy pursed her lips with a groan, "Or so I hope." She pat Jason's leg, "Don't worry. Bunnyburrow will be a safe place for you."

"Or so we hope," murmured Nick.

As the van sped across the sands, Judy passed time by examining the phone Brock loaned her. Signal had returned, and the screen read she had eight missed calls from the husky. Call number nine had just began when Judy answered, "Hello?"

"Judy, thank god." sighed Brock. "What's going on? Are you alright?"

"Fine. Nick and I are safe."

"Where are you? Clawhauser and I are worried."

"I can't say now," said Judy. "I'm not even sure if I'll reach my destination. What's going on back in Zootopia?"

Brock sounded distressed. "Citizens are terrified and Mayor Snoutmeyer demands to know what's going on. What exactly is the issue? It surely can't be terrorism."

"I can't say," sighed Judy while looking at Nick. "You just have to trust me."

"What can Clawhauser and I do?"

Judy thought for a moment before responding, "I need you to be my eyes on the inside. Text me updates about Lydia and Bogo's developments. If I need anything else, I'll contact you. Stay in touch and stay safe."

"You too," said Brock. "The others may be fooled but Clawhauser and I know better. We've got your back."

"This is an outrage!" exclaimed Mayor Snoutmeyer. The pig gave his red tie a powerful tug to straighten it. Chief Bogo and Brock stood before his desk at city hall. "Chief Bogo, just what kind of acts of terrorism are we dealing with?"

Bogo explained, "We know that two of my officers fled questioning but we have no information on any actual terror."

"Then where did all this originate from?" wondered the mayor.

"Lydia Furwell, sir." said Brock. "She was the first to make a statement."

"The ZBI," realized Snoutmeyer. "Of course. I authorized them to investigate that damned hole in the ground. She would understand just what type of terrorism we are dealing with. Someone get Furwell on the line right now."

Lydia stood next to the oblong rock formation while her agents ransacked the safe house. A sandstorm was picking up, prompting her to enter for refuge. "They were here at most two hours ago," said a badger analyst. "With the sandstorm raging, it will be difficult to track their next destination."

"Ma'am," said another agent. "Mayor Snoutmeyer wants an elaboration on the situation at hand."

Lydia roared with frustration and flipped one of the mattresses, sending it crashing into the shelf. Cans of food rolled in various directions and Lydia kicked one. "The ZBI has never had this much trouble in the past." she admitted. "We've always been quick to enter and quicker to exit. I fear if we do not act fast, everything our forefathers fought to protect may be exposed. No one can know the truth. Not even the mayor. In Zootopia, humans never happened. That is what everyone must believe. We now know that at least three mammals are aware of the human's existence. That pest, Judy Hopps is hiding him. We cannot allow her to expose the truth!" Lydia slammed her fist on a table while her agents stood at attention. "All of them know too much and must die. Get the word out that authorities are to shoot Hopps, Wilde, and their accomplices on sight. Anyone we discover to be aiding them must be taken into custody and dealt with soon after. Have tech teams tap into phone calls and social networks. If Judy so much as tries to signal for help, we'll have her in our sights. I want this human found and disposed of by yesterday. Am I clear?" Her agents nodded and set off to search for clues. "Good."

Lydia trailed off as an agent said, "Ma'am. The mayor is still waiting to hear from you."

"Tell him I am busy," she asserted. "Assure him that the situation is under control. The less he knows, the better." She clenched her furry fists. "Damn you, Hopps. Wherever you are, I will hunt you down. In Zootopia, humans never happened. And that's exactly how it will remain."


	8. Chapter 8 - Bunnyburrow

**Chapter: 8 Bunnyburrow**

"Carrots...Carrots. Wake up!" Nick gave Judy a nudge.

The groggy bunny rubbed her eyes, "How long was I out for?"

"A couple of hours," said Nick. "We just passed the Bunnyburrow sign. Welcome home."

"I told you I could get us here without trouble," boasted Finnick.

"Yeah, but for how long?" worried Judy. She rubbed her shoulders in an attempt to relax. "Pull into that garage," she pointed. "Dad's always leaving the darn thing open." Once they parked inside, Nick leapt to lower the garage door.

The ruckus prompted the entry door to open and out poked Judy's father, Stu. "Who's there?"

Judy stepped forward, "Hey Dad."

"Jude!" he gasped before calling back inside. "Bonnie! Thank heavens, it's Judy." Her mother came rushing out to immediately embrace her daughter. Stu wrapped his arms around both bunnies. "We're so happy you're safe."

Bonnie kissed Judy's forehead. "We've been glued to the news screen. They've been saying that you and Nick have something to do with...with terrorism!"

"I know," she sighed. "Don't believe it for a second."

"We never did," affirmed Bonnie.

"Our Jude would never do something like that!" prided Stu. "What does that ZBI lady know, right?"

"Judy," worried Bonnie. "Just what exactly is happening?"

Judy began to fidget with her paws, "Mom...Dad. I came here because I believe in my heart that I can trust you. Am I right?"

"Of course you are, Jude." assured Stu. "If you can't trust your family, you can't trust anyone. And we Hopps bunnies have to stick together."

"Thank you," sighed Judy while Nick reached for the van's back door. "Alright...please don't freak out."

"Judy?" dreaded her mother.

"Well the news isn't entirely wrong," admitted Judy. "This has nothing to do with terrorism, but the authorities are pursuing us because we have someone they're looking for. I believe him to be wrongly accused and we are trying to prove his innocence."

"I can understand that," confided Stu. "Reminds me of when your Uncle Terry got mixed up in that whole cow-tipping scandal. What a mess that was!"

"Well this...fellow...is a little different," cringed Judy.

Nick opened the door and out stepped Jason. He cracked his neck and stretched his arms with a yawn. The six foot human towered over every small mammal in the garage. "Thank you for sheltering me," he stretched once more.

Judy laughed nervously, "No problem. Mom, Dad...this is Jason." She turned to see her parents had vanished. "Guys?"

"Ummm Judy?" Nick pointed at the floor. Judy's parents had simultaneously fainted at the sight of Jason.

"Oh my god!" she gasped before rushing to their aid. Finnick helped both bunnies to their feet while Judy caressed their faces.

"Come on, wake up. Come back!" Judy gave her father a light, yet forceful tap on the face. He awakened, stared at Jason, and screamed. His scream woke up Bonnie, who proceeded to scream even louder. Judy covered both of their mouthes. "He's not going to hurt you! He's a friend."

Stu trembled back, "What is he?"

"A human," said Nick. "And a really ugly one."

"Wait," sniffled Finnick. "Isn't he an alien?"

Judy glowered at the foxs' comments but returned focus to her parents. Her mother gulped loudly, "Judy...you're lucky I trust you." She looked up at Jason and said, "Can you at least get down to eye level?" she asked. Jason thunderously dropped to his knees. To a bunny, it sounded as if a boulder had come crashing down. "That's...a little better." Judy's mother took a deep breath, shut her eyes, and stuck out her paw. "Bonnie Hopps," she mustered the courage to declare. "How do you do?"

Jason gently held her tiny paw in his hand. He was careful not to swallow it in his grip, and instead touched lightly. "I am honored to meet you."

Bonnie admired the man's respect. She felt her fears dwindling away, especially when she scolded her husband. He was trying to hide in a carrot crate when she yelled, "Stu! Don't be rude! Come meet the human."

Stu crawled out of the crate and fell on his plump behind. "Oh...sure," he flashed a nervous smile. "Let me just meet the...heeewmun." He held out his paw, "Stu Hopps. Prey or predator?" He inquired.

"Both," said Jason.

"Perfect," quivered Stu with a petrified tug at his sweat-drenched collar.

Judy spoke up, "We just need a place to lay low for a bit. Just to give us time to plan our next move. The ZBI will be searching the desert for days before they consider we made it all the way to Bunnyburrow."

"Don't underestimate them," warned Nick. "Make no mistake, they will send agents to question your parents."

"And you will hide when they do," assured Bonnie. "We'll take care of you all. Won't we, Stu?"

Judy's father sighed, "Like I said. If you can't trust your family, you can't trust anyone. We're with ya."

"I love you guys," rejoiced Judy.

Bonnie led the way into the house. Jason had to crouch in order to get in. The older bunny sighed, "I just hope our ruckus didn't wake up your brothers and sisters." Bonnie turned the light on and her eyes widened at the sight of all two-hundred-and-fifty-seven of her children staring back at her. The bunnies awed and marveled at Jason. They ranged from a multitude of ages and nearly covered the entire living room. Some piled on top of each other while others poked their heads out from the stairs.

"Oh they're awake," said Nick.

"So...many...bunnies," awed Finnick.

Judy took point, "No...one...panic." She flashed a merry facade and waved, "Hi everyone! Sorry to wake you. So this is my friend, Jason." The human slowly waved while his eyes attempted to find every bunny amidst the furry mass. "He's from...out of town. We have to take care of him for a little bit but we can't tell anyone he's here. He's like...um...he's like-"

"A secret best friend!" finished Nick before winking at her.

"Now can all of you keep a secret?" asked Judy.

All of the bunnies nodded, causing their heads to appear as waves across a sea of fur. Bonnie stepped in, "And unless you all want to be grounded, I suggest you keep the secret."

Nick quickly shifted gears, "Now hold on a moment. When Judy brought me here to meet you all, I received a Hopps family welcome. Why don't you all get over here and do the same for Jason?" He turned towards Judy and gave her a nod. She smiled at him, graciously accepting his assistance.

Suddenly, one of Judy's younger siblings yelled, "Bunny pile on the new guy!" Jason began to panic as every single one of Judy's siblings converged on him. They ran up his legs and leapt onto his arms.

"Judy?" he worried. "HELP!"

"It's just a Hopps family welcome," she chuckled.

The bunnies swarmed over his body, tugging at his beard and sniffing in his ears. His panic soon subsided into laughter. "Wait! Stop! That...that tickles!" Jason rolled over with a mad chuckle as the bunnies scrambled across him. He laughed magnetically, prompting everyone to do the same.

Judy placed her paw on top of Nick's. "Thank you," she said. "For trusting me."

"What kind of best friend would I be if I did otherwise?" He wrapped his arm around her and the two watched as Jason endured the bunny attack.

Jason laughed wildly, "You're all so cute!"

A unanimous gasp filled the room and all of the bunnies backed away. They all stared at Jason with wide eyes, covering their mouthes while their noses twitched repeatedly. "Oh good grief," Judy facepawed. "Jason. A bunny can call another bunny cute. But when someone else does...it's sort of...offensive."

Bonnie used the break to usher the children to bed while Stu led the others to the family barn. In contrast to the frigid air outside, the barn's warm interior was joyously inviting. "Sorry, Jason." sighed Stu. "You'll have to forgive us Hopps' for not having any beds big enough for you. All we have is this bushel of hay."

Jason ran his worn hand against the hay, "Are...you serious? This bushel...is my bed?"

Stu huffed. "Like I said, I'm sorry we can't-"

Jason quickly knelt to embrace the bunny. "Thank you for your kindness! I will never forget this!" He dove into the bushel and rolled like an animal trying to satisfy an itch. He smiled with glee and sprawled himself across the bushel, taking up all of the space on it.

"Well," Stu scratched his head in bewilderment. "I'm...glad you like it so much!"

Judy then asked, "Jason? You've never had something to sleep in before, have you?"

The man sighed and shook his head, "No. I've only ever slept on the ground."

Judy felt herself sympathizing for the poor human, and shot him a caring smile. "Then I am glad we could change that." She soon felt an even larger form of resentment against the ZBI. Jason was just one of many humans suffering in these horrid conditions.

Nick and Finnick were then led to back to the Hopps house. "You coming, Carrots?" asked Nick.

Judy looked to Jason, "I think I'll keep him company. It's only right." Nick obliged and gave a wave of good night. Judy rested in the bushel beside Jason and fiddled with her carrot pen. She had many fond memories of it. A year ago, its recording abilities let her rope Nick into helping her and stopped Bellwether from taking over Zootopia. She gently set the pen down and checked her phone. She dimmed the light from her screen to avoid disturbing Jason's slumber. Her phone read three missed calls from Brock. She told him she'd contact him, so this display frustrated her. She then examined his text messages:

 **Please answer. Need to know you are ok.**

 **Furwell scouring desert. Hope you are safe.**

 **Zootopia under martial law. Not looking good.**

 **Standing by. Just tell me what to do.**

Judy sighed and hastily texted back.

 **All is fine. Stay safe. Keep giving updates.** **Where is Bogo?**

Brock's reply came almost instantly.

 **No longer in charge. He answers to Furwell. ZBI in complete control.**

Judy frowned at such a message.

 **How can I help?**

Judy was about to respond to Brock when she heard Jason whimpering. She rolled over her pen, groaning at the pinching pain it left in her side. Judy proceeded to sit beside the colossal human. "Jason?" She placed a paw on his shoulder. "Are you alright?"

He sniffled and rolled towards her, wiping the tears from his eyes. "I shall be. I just...miss my family. I've never been away from them for so long."

Judy sat closer, "Where are they? How many more humans are there?"

Jason began to recall, "There are two others in my family. There is my mate, Tessa. She is very kind and considerate. Her eyes may be grey, but they shine like crystals. Then there is Samuel. He is my son and my pride. I assure you, Samuel is a very pleasant and smart young man. He certainly has his mother's curly blonde hair, but his father's eyes." Jason felt himself about to cry again. "The hunters raided our colony and my friend David escaped with us. The others were all killed, including my father. He was the leader of our colony."

"What happened next?" queried Judy.

"The colony had been migrating through the mountains when the hunters closed in on us. We had no choice but to retreat into its caves. Other surviving colonies had once sheltered in there as well, and we hoped to meet with them. It wasn't long before we found a natural, underground spring. David and I ventured out to salvage some water when we were attacked by the ZBI. That was the night I met you. Oh Judy," he sighed. "My family is still out there. They must be terrified without me." He buried his face in his hands, "I feel so helpless."

Judy frowned mournfully, "I'm sorry for all that's happened."

"It is not your fault," assured Jason. "It is the hunters'. They want us wiped from existence."

"Why?" asked Judy. "Why would the ZBI do something like this?"

"I wish I knew," he admitted. "I have been on the run ever since I was a child. I was born in a colony far to the north. My mother and many others were killed in my youth, for they were not fast enough to outrun the hunters. As a result, my father devoted his life to the protection of the colony. He always stressed that our lives would be better someday. That somehow we'd be miraculously delivered. However, this is exactly what his father told him, and his father's father before him. This hunt has gone on for hundreds, thousands of years, and nothing has changed. While I admire how long my people has persevered, I do believe that our species is on the brink of extinction." Jason began to choke up, "I do have reason to believe that my Tessa...and my Samuel...are all that remains of the colony. The hunt is coming to an end."

He started to cry again as Judy attempted to calm him. "Don't worry, Jason. We'll find your family, I promise." She reiterated her statement with even more conviction. "I promise."

Jason looked to her with his reddened, strained eyes. "You are the first animal to show me such compassion. You are not like the others. Certainly not like those barbaric hunters."

"It's what police officers do," said Judy. "Things will work out in the end. You'll see. We're going to get to the bottom of this." Judy assuringly pat Jason's shoulder before falling asleep beside him.

Lydia's claws drummed against her desk as she awaited the latest desert report. An aid rushed in, "Ma'am."

"Yes?"

"Our search was inconclusive...again. We've dispatched agents to notify the suspect's families. Officer Hopps was our only lead."

Lydia turned in her chair, "What of officer Wilde's family?"

"His father abandoned him at a very young age and his mother died of illness several years ago. I will keep you informed on our findings in Bunnyburrow."

"Please do," affirmed Lydia before continuing to scroll through her dossier files. She scoured every record and statement about Judy, searching for a smoking gun she could use against her. Perhaps something to draw her out. However, Judy's clean record rendered blackmailing her virtually impossible. "How?" Lydia asked herself. "How could the perfect cop be a thorn in my side?" She cursed herself for using that word. Perfect was an illusion. A lie that fed egos. Yet even Officer Hopps held such a title with humility and grace. Then it dawned on Lydia. Judy was a dedicated woman of the law. One of virtue, justice, and mostly truth. Judy was causing so much trouble because she simply didn't know. If she could show Judy the reality, she could gain a new ally against the lost human. Lydia would have to act fast, before Judy was manipulated by the human's so-called truths.


	9. Chapter 9 - A Way of Life

**Chapter: 9 A Way of Life**

The barn's doors swung open with a slam, startling Judy to immediately leap to her feet. "Rise and shine!" exclaimed her mother.

"Mom!" scolded Judy. "You can't be jumping us like that!"

"Oops," she chuckled. "Sorry!" She scurried over to Jason and began to run measuring tape across his body.

"What are you doing?" Judy wondered.

"Well if this is his first bed, I can almost guarantee the poor thing has never had a change of clothes before!" She cringed after taking a whiff of him. "I don't think he's ever had a bath either. Well don't you worry! Stu dragged a tub over for you. Filled it with water and everything!"

Jason was astonished, "I am beyond grateful for your kindness."

"It's what we Hopps' do," she assured. "Now get cleaned up while our sewing team gets to work! Let's go, girls!" Judy and Jason watched as Bonnie assembled a team of her children at her side. The tiny bunnies drew sewing needles like miniature swords and marched behind her. Judy departed with them, allowing Jason to take his first real bath.

The man shed the torn rags he deemed clothes and slowly sank into the tub. Jason loosed a pleasurable coo upon feeling the soothing warmth of the water. He submerged completely and thrashed to scrub himself. The sensation was so exhilarating that he began to wildly splash about. He sounded a giddy chuckle before sinking back under. He ran his fingers through his long, brown hair, plucking dirt and other hindrances from it. Perhaps all animals weren't bad after all. These mammals could've killed him, yet risked everything to keep him safe. He remained forever grateful and continued to soak himself. As Jason resurfaced again, he reached for his folded rags and pulled out a knife. He had been hiding the blade from the very beginning, but finally felt safe enough to withdraw it. He grabbed the bar of soap and rigorously scrubbed it against his beard. Then he took the knife and began to shave.

Judy went back to change into her pink shirt and blue jeans. She had just returned to the barn with a towel when she gasped at the sight of Jason. His scraggly beard was now nothing but tufts rolling across the floor. She could see his thin face, now covered with a light stubble. "I haven't shaved in months," he said while rubbing his chin.

Judy was completely befuddled by the human's grooming techniques. Why cut your only fur off? She shrugged in acceptance. "It looks good...I guess."

"Yeah," thought Finnick as he walked in with Nick. "But that top fur. Way too funky, bro. Judy, grab some scissors. Lemme give this guy a clean cut."

"Now you're a barber?" the bunny chuckled.

Finnick laughed deeply, "It takes me back to the hustlin' days when Nick and I staged a sheep barber scam."

"Good times," reminisced Nick. He helped Finnick up to the tub so he could proceed to cut Jason's hair.

By the time his haircut was nearly finished, Bonnie and her "troops" had returned. They were heaving perfectly stitched, enormous articles of clothing. I guess it was easy to craft a shirt and pants when you had an army of bunnies stitching for you. "Well don't you look cleaner!" admired the mother. "Now please, try these on!"

Jason emerged from the tub, causing the mammals to gasp at his physique. He was quick to put his grey pants on before he frightened the critters any further. He then pulled the white shirt over his body. "It fits wonderfully," he smiled. "Thank you!"

"It's not much, but I'm glad you like it." applauded Bonnie.

"You must make one for my wife and son!" he exclaimed and Bonnie nodded. It was more than Jason could've asked for. It was his first real outfit and he didn't even need shoes. Thirty-three years of being barefoot had allowed his feet to adapt to harsh conditions. The animals watched as Jason began to run in his new clothes. He leapt freely and grabbed hold of one of the barn's rafters. He used his massive arms to climb up to the third level and then he lunged for the window.

"Go, alien! Go!" cheered Finnick.

"Food!" Jason gasped upon discovering several crates of carrots. He turned like a child awaiting permission, "May I..."

Judy smiled and shook her head with a shrug, "Sure."

Jason proceeded to dive in and practically inhale the carrots. The poor man hadn't eaten since he first reached Judy's apartment and was desperate consume as much as possible. Judy let him do so because he'd need all of his strength to best provide his story.

A thick mist had covered Zootopia early that morning. Officer Brock Barker made his way towards City Hall. He had parked his car several blocks away, eliminating all immediate suspicions. The husky had been tailing Lydia all day, hoping to find Judy before she did. Because Judy had failed to tell him her location, Brock felt it would be best to remain close to Lydia. Thanks to the ZBI's instituted martial law, the streets were now deserted. He crouched in an alleyway and pressed on his earpiece. "Clawhauser, you copy?"

"I hear you, Brock." he called back from the police department. The cheetah was hidden away in the boiler room, a location he had become familiar with during his work in the records department. No one ever came down there and it was a perfect place to operate from. He took a chomp out of a donut. "What's your status?"

"Slightly disgusted," replied Brock. "If you could not chew while your mic is on, that'd be great."

"Sorry, I'm just a nervous eater."

Brock rolled his eyes, "You're an everything eater. Now keep calm and try to focus. Furwell is exiting her car now. She's alone...I think."

"Can you get into city hall?" asked Clawhauser.

"Yeah. I just have to pass the two ZPD hippos stationed by the door. Maintain comm silence until I'm in." Brock made his way towards the officers and showed them his badge. "Stand aside, boys."

"What are you doing here, hybrid?" jeered one of the uniformed hippos.

"Bogo sent me. He said you clowns were incapable of handling yourselves and wanted me to keep you in check."

"You're bluffing," garbled the other officer.

"Am I?" Brock remained nonchalant. "I'm sorry, big fella. How many crooks have you brought in? That's IF you're fast enough to catch them." The hippo remained silent. "If a speed demon comes barreling through, you need an ace cop to chase them down. So like I said before, stand aside. Unless you want to take it up with Bogo himself." The hippos looked to each other before letting Brock through. As calm as he appeared, he was terrified on the inside. He only hoped those hippos didn't decide to give Bogo a ring right then and there. He was lucky enough that they were cops. ZBI agents would've been impossible to trick.

Brock slipped into the lobby and got as close to the nearest wall as possible. He continued to creep down the hall and ascend several flights of stairs. Only then did he call back, "I'm in."

"I hope you didn't hurt anyone to get in." worried Clawhauser.

"No," he replied much to the cheetah's relief. "I won't unless I have to. I'm approaching Mayor Snoutmeyer's office now."

Brock could hear the pig's aggravated voice from beyond the door. "No more secrets, Furwell. I want answers! Why is my city under martial law? You have yet to produce any proof of terrorism to me."

Lydia remained reserved, "Is a shootout with my agents not enough proof for you? Or how about the retreat of suspects Hopps and Wilde? Clearly something is at work here."

Mayor Snoutmeyer snorted. "You expect me to believe that Zootopia's golden girl, Judy Hopps, is suddenly a criminal. Highly unlikely if you ask me. You may have authority over Zootopia's security, but you still answer to me. Now I want proof!"

"And you will have it!" Lydia raised her voice, only to hastily calm down in the mayor's presence. "My agents and I have set a trap to lure Judy back to the city. In the meantime, you must be moved from your office. I suggest you seek shelter in one of my safe houses."

The pig straightened his tie, "I will not be removed from my seat until this issue is officially resolved. I want this horrid state of alert lifted before mammals start losing their minds! Now if you want me to believe you, you will do so on MY terms. Spring this trap of yours and bring me those you deem terrorists. You have until tomorrow morning to get me results. Then I want my citizens out on the streets again, knowing that I can protect them. Understood?"

"Yes, mayor." angrily saluted Lydia. The mayor's words had certainly complicated her plan and hindered her ability to keep him misinformed. But she was a clever tigress, and certainly had tricks up her sleeve. Her wits should never have been underestimated. Nor should her hearing have been.

Brock slowly crept away from the door. "A trap?" he thought to himself while sneaking down the hall. He called in on his earpiece. "Clawhauser, we've got a problem."

"What?" worried the cheetah.

"Furwell has set a tr-"

"It's rather unusual for a policemammal to be eavesdropping on a confidential conversation, Officer Barker." said Lydia. Her words were enough to send a chill up Brock's spine. His fur stood and his heart stopped. He turned to face the white tigress, doing his best to remain unfazed in her eyes.

"Come again?" he said. "I was just passing through. Bogo sent me."

Lydia could see right through the facade and slowly stepped closer to him. "Oh I believe you heard me quite clearly the first time. Who were you talking to with your earpiece? Officer Hopps? Officer Wilde perhaps?"

Brock stood firm while his mind rushed to think of words to say. "With all due respect, are you out of your mind? No one knows where those two are. Isn't that why we've all been tasked to find them? Now if you excuse me, I must get going." Brock turned to bump into two ZBI bulls. They snarled profusely and each placed a hoof on Brock's shoulders.

Lydia neared her newly trapped prey. "Going off on your own accord can get you killed, Officer Barker. Why don't we take a drive?"

Brock stared up at the bulls cornering him. He redirected his attention to the tigress. "Judy's way too smart to fall for any of your traps."

"I will be the judge of that." Lydia snarled at the husky, "Take him away." The bulls quickly put a black bag over Brock's head and delivered several punches to his gut before dragging him away.

Clawhauser nervously sat in the police department's boiler room. "Brock?" he worriedly called in. "Brock? What happened? Please come in. Brock!"

Judy and her friends were snacking away while sheltered in the warm serenity of the Hopps barn. While she and Jason consumed carrots, Finnick and Nick annihilated a basket of fresh blueberries. "So tell us, Jason." began Nick. "Why has the ZBI been hunting humans?"

The human chomped on a carrot. "The hunters have been pursuing my kind for thousands of years."

"Thousands?" gasped Judy.

Jason nodded before continuing. "Our colony's chronicler was a man named Lief. He would tell us stories of a world where humans were free from pursuit and murder. Stories of such a world have been told for many generations. According to the legend, billions of humans once lived upon the land. They grew to immense strengths and built grand monuments. My people prospered and strived for greatness in a multitude of forms. Then came the Fall of Fire. The skies were blackened and the ground became ash. The great waters rushed to submerge the once glorious world. Those who survived the Fall of Fire took refuge beyond, and prospered for nearly one hundred years. It was in that time that something else had evolved. The hunters rose to counter what remainders of my people had survived. Wars broke out, and eventually the hunters overpowered my kind. Humans were forced into exile, and cursed to be hunted down for thousands of years. All that remains of them now is my struggling colony. At least whatever is left of it."

"But that's all just a story, right?" questioned Nick. "I mean, Judy and I have been to the Natural History Museum. We've seen fossils and murals of our ancestors struggling to survive against each other. You know...vicious predator versus meek prey."

Jason shook his head. "I know not of what you say, only of what I have heard."

Bonnie opened the barn door and poked her head in, "The last of our customers is gone. You're clear to move about."

"Thank you," said Judy while holding the other door open for Jason.

"No problem," smiled her mother. "And Stu's filling your van with gas in the garage."

Jason stopped halfway between the barn and homestead. His eyes marveled over the vas expanses of farmland far out in the distance. "In all of my years in the desolate beyond, I have never seen this much green in my life. I wish I could have such a view every day forever and ever. I must savor it for as long as possible."

"Well, if you take a picture it will last longer." joked Bonnie.

Nick suddenly sparked up an idea in his head, "Then why not take one? Judy, hand me your phone." The bunny did so, and Nick immediately set the device into photo mode. "Hold still and smile, Jason. I'm snapping a picture of you."

"You can do that?" he wondered.

"Welcome to the modern world," chuckled Nick. "Judy, why don't you get in there with him?" he insisted.

"Yes please," beckoned Jason."Please join me for this...picture thing."

Judy came over and leapt onto Jason's leg. She turned to face the camera and smiled. Nick steadied his paw, "Perfect!"

 ** _SNAP!  
_**  
Nick's smile faded seconds after taking the photo. He flipped the phone towards Judy, "It looks like we have a call from Clawhauser."

Judy rushed off of Jason's leg and answered it, "Hello?"

"Judy. Thank goodness," sighed the cheetah. "You need to leave wherever you are right now and come back to Zootopia. The ZBI has tracked your location and you don't have much time. Take the monorail to the city junction and Brock will meet with you there." Clawhauser choked up.

"Are you alright?" worried Judy.

"Yeah," assured Clawhauser. The cheetah could feel a gun barrel pressed to the back of his head. "Just...nervous." he trembled, guilty of withholding the truth in favor of his own life. "Be safe. Brock will see you at the station. And...stay cute." He hung up and his assailant pulled him out of the front desk.

Judy looked to her friends, "He says we have been compromised. We can't stay here any longer!" She hugged her parents. "Thank you two for all of your sacrifices, but we've got to go." Jason's breath hastened and Judy assuringly pat his leg, "Stay calm. You're going to be just as safe as you were before." She turned to Nick, "Get the van ready while I grab some provisions. I need it prepped to leave immediately."

"I thought we were taking the monorail?" questioned Nick.

Judy shook her head, "Clawhauser told me to stay cute. That cheetah knows better than to call a bunny that. Combine that with his nerves over the phone and I'd bet everything the ZBI forced him to make that call. I fear it is he who has been compromised, meaning they can easily trace that call through him." Judy hastily threw her phone away. "God knows what happened to Brock. The ZBI's probably got an entire trap set up at the monorail station. We may seem outnumbered, but we can't be outmatched. We've got to still have allies, like Chief Bogo and..." Judy turned to her father, "Dad. What was it you were reading about Mayor Snoutmeyer earlier?"

The older bunny scratched his head in an attempt to recall, "The mayor spoke to his own private press. He said he refuses to leave City Hall until the emergency is resolved. It sounds like he doesn't even know what's going on."

"And that's just it," Judy clapped in realization. "The mayor, our highest authority, is as in the dark as we are. He might be able to help us."

"He does respect, trust and admire you," added Bonnie. "I mean, he commissioned that statue of you in Zootopia Central Park."

"That ugly thing," remembered Judy before snapping back into the moment. "But you're right, Mom! We have the mayor's trust. If we can just get back to Zootopia and reach him, we might be able to turn this whole situation on the ZBI. Snoutmeyer will tell the whole city about Jason, and its compassion could save him and the other humans. We just need to get in. We can contact-" Judy's eyes widened along with her grin.

"I know that look," smirked Nick. "You've got a plan."

Judy grinned at him. "We're hustlers, aren't we? Well I think it's time we hustled Furwell and the rest of her ZBI crew."

Finnick's chuckle was devilishly deep, "Ohhh now that's a hustle I can get behind!"

He and Nick leaned in while Jason awkwardly loomed over them all. Everyone listened as Judy elaborated on what would be their riskiest hustle yet. 


	10. Chapter 10 - A Horrid Truth

**Chapter: 10 A Horrid Truth**

Judy gripped tightly to the leather straps aboard the monorail. Her orchid eyes fluttered as her transport sped out of Bunnyburrow. It was later into the night and the glistening moon now stretched far into the sky. Amidst the inky blackness, Judy could still observe the moonlit fields and forests she left so swiftly behind. The monorail's mechanisms rumbled Judy's feet, offering her soles both a tense and therapeutic sensation. She utilized the time to slow her breaths while the monorail soared over a familiar body of water. Judy looked ahead to see Zootopia and was instantly reminded of her first visit. She recalled the anxious, excited bunny who wanted nothing more than to become a police officer. Judy admired her past self and respected her choice to remain with the ZPD. She knew the risks, but she did her best not to ever question them. She could only hope that her current endeavors would prove noble. No longer was she that innocent little bunny. She was a traitor to the eyes of the law and her friends had suffered for it. The moments of laying low in hiding had been gruesomely ripped away from her. Now Judy was headed into the very heart of her enemies. The once magical and welcoming city had become a militarized zone. Lydia Furwell was like a cold venom, slowly infecting all of Zootopia under her command. If what Jason said was true, his extermination was a mere routine for the ZBI. They had been exterminating humans for years, but Judy still couldn't figure out why. What threat did these creatures pose to Zootopia? Judy thought back to the human-dominated world that Jason had described. Was it possible that animals had risen up against humans and that she was living in the aftermath? So many questions only flustered Judy further. She needed to focus on the moment, or at least all that was about to unfold at the monorail station.

As the monorail passed into the city's borders, Judy pat her companion. "Just sit tight, Jason. We're almost there." Judy proceeded to balance her way to the front of the train. While doing so, she glanced out of the windows to see what had become of Sahara Square. The entire sinkhole had been sectioned off from the rest of the public and ZBI agents could be seen fumigating it. As she passed into Tundratown, Judy could see several trucks using searchlights to patrol the streets. "As a cop, I can't believe I'm saying this..." Judy whispered to herself. "But I hope that Mr. Big and his entire crime family are safe down there." The monorail whirred through the tunnel and entered the Rainforest District. Water sprayed from the canopy sprinklers and splattered against the monorail's windows. She was now just one section away from her destination. The automated monorail was completely desolate, creating an eerie ambience to rattle at Judy's prowess. The bunny kept herself together by focusing on her breathing and the rumble beneath her feet.

Judy advanced to the very front car of the monorail just as it pulled into the station. Sure enough, the ZBI had the entire place surrounded. Waves of jet black cars were parked on every side. Mammals took cover behind them, each pointing a firearm directly at the monorail. Judy was quick to notice how no ZPD units were involved in the operation, which only made her further fear Brock and Clawhauser's fate. Judy took a deep breath and stood tall as the doors opened.

"Please watch your step as you disembark," said the automated voice. "Welcome to Zootopia!"

"Yeah," scoffed Judy as spotlights immediately targeted her. "What a welcome."

A brown bear held up a megaphone and roared, "Officer Hopps! Get down on the ground with your paws behind your head!"

"I won't let you kill him!" she exclaimed for all to hear. Some of the agents became nervous and looked around as if unwanted ears were listening.

"Judy," said another amplified voice. Judy squinted her eyes to see Lydia approaching from behind the blockade. The white tigress slipped passed her agents and clenched her megaphone. "You've taken this far enough. Stand down and I will consider obtaining a pardon for your crimes."

"I haven't done anything wrong!" shouted Judy. Her rising tone was enough to get agents to remove the safeties from their weapons. "I want answers, Lydia! Why are you hunting humans?"

Lydia cringed at the mention of the word, fearing that hidden bystanders could have heard her. She couldn't waste any more time. Lydia yelled exasperatedly. "Come quietly and I will give you the answers you seek! I will show you the truth!"

"Oh for sure," nodded Judy sarcastically. "Just give myself up and we'll be best buddies. Not a chance, Lydia. If you want to kill me because I've seen too much, you're going to have to get your paws dirty."

Lydia growled with frustration, "Little fool. You think yourself to be some kind of hero. In reality, you are just another blind, delusional waste of taxpayer dollars."

As she stood her ground, Judy suddenly saw something move in the reflection of the monorail's window. Her nose twitched with suspicion until a wolf came swinging in from the roof. Lydia was only distracting Judy long enough for her stealth team to move into position. The wolf grabbed for Judy but she leapt back, bounced off of a seat cushion, and kicked him in the face. She then stuck her landing and bolted down the aisle.

Lydia furiously pointed a claw, "Get her! Kill the target!" ZBI agents rushed the monorail from all sides while the rest of the strike team swung in. They shattered the monorail's windows and tossed in smoke grenades. Judy stayed as low as possible and continued to dash for the back of the train. More agents were closing in, causing her to slide under one of the seats. She crawled down, using the stomping of her pursuer's boots to cancel out her sounds. "Cut power to the monorail!" ordered Lydia. "Do it now!" A weasel agent snapped several power cables with great haste. Each of the monorail's cars shut off almost instantaneously.

The agents rapidly equipped their night-vision goggles and laser sights. "Anyone got eyes on the suspect?" panted an agent.

"We'll be alright Jason," soothed Judy. "We'll be alright! I promise!"

"THERE!" a lion agent yelled. He led his team to follow the sound towards the back of the train. They reached the final car to see a human figure cowering in one of the seats. "Target sighted. Open fire!"

Muzzles flashed as the high-caliber rifles sent bullets burrowing into the silhouette. The shots went through the target and ripped the seat's cushions to shreds. Dark liquid splattered against the windows and leaked onto the floor in heaping globs. A grizzly bear agent crouched and ran his paw across the blood. The lion called in. "Ma'am, we have a confirmed hit. Target is neutralized. I repeat, target is-" The lion watched as his bear friend proceeded to delectably lick his paw. "That's disgusting!" he remarked.

"It's not blood," tasted the bear. "It's blueberry juice!"

"What?" snapped the lion while moving in for a closer look. The so-called human was actually a series of blueberry bags strapped together.

"My family's blueberries have saved me from tougher scrapes," jeered Judy from above the two agents. She quickly swung from the handrail and locked the door behind her. The bunny then made her way to the window and watched as Finnick's van sped into Zootopia. Judy sighed in relief at the success of her plan. Judy's stunt had bought her friends enough time to slip back into the city without any resistance. "Wait to go, boys." she smiled to herself. "Now to get out of here." Judy leapt for another handrail and proceeded to swing across them. She was almost to the door when she felt a tremendously sharp pain on her thigh. The bunny yelped with agony before loosing her grip and falling to the floor. She slammed hard and flipped over to see what had struck her. She immediately pulled out a sleek dart was deeply embedded into her thigh. Removing the dart caused even more pain as a swelling soreness began to emanate from her leg. Still, Judy persisted to stumble out of the monorail.

Whatever was in that dart was starting to take effect. Judy's fur soon became drenched with sweat and her eyes began to flutter. Her mouth and throat became dry and her nose felt runny. Judy began to feel incredibly lightheaded. She tried to speak but her words became slurred. Her paws trembled and she tripped over herself. Judy struggled to focus as the world began to spin around her. It wheeled faster as light sources became even brighter. So bright that they were nearly blinding to Judy. The ZBI agents surrounded Judy while Lydia stood before her. The white tigress was brandishing an ebony-colored, tranquilizer pistol."You," garbled Judy as she attempted to keep her eyes open. She fell over again and the pains on her leg suddenly faded...along with everything else.

The very foundations of the world around her began to spiral in hues of vibrant colors. The ZBI agents swirled into color streaks of their own, shooting up into the surreal sky. Her arms and legs went numb, rendering Judy helpless as she frantically clawed at the ground. It tormented her not to be in control of her condition. The wild array of colors turned into an overwhelming blackness that consumed Judy. Amidst such an atrocious experience, Judy could hear Lydia's distorted voice echoing in the darkness. "Sleep well, Officer Hopps." Within the following seconds, Judy was fully incapacitated.

Finnick raced his van through the streets while Jason held on for dear life. Meanwhile, Nick peered out of the window. His eyes remained fixated on the monorail station. He gulped grievously, as if somehow knowing that Judy had been apprehended. At least he kept telling himself that she was. He didn't even want to consider her death as an outcome. "She knew the risks," sighed Nick with a tight shutting of his eyes.

"We gotta go back for her," said Finnick.

"No," intoned Nick. "That's not what she would've wanted."

Jason worriedly nudged Nick. "Do you think she's..."

"I don't know, pal. We'll head to Acacia Street for the rendezvous when its time. Then we leave with...or without her." said the fox. "Let's just get to the contact's house."

"Can we trust this guy?" asked Finnick.

Nick nodded, "For sure. After all, he owes me for not locking him up last year." As much as Nick tried to find humor in his situation, he could not stop thinking about his best friend...wherever she was.

Judy slowly stirred to the sounds of car doors slamming. The swelling pain from her thigh had returned in full force, attributing to her forced awakening. She opened her eyes and observed total darkness. The groggy bunny thrashed with a huff, soon realizing that she had a black bag over her head. Her breaths were short and rapid. The bag made her feel increasingly claustrophobic and such anxieties were worsened by her shackled paws. She struggled to move, prompting unknown paws to grip her painfully. The more she struggled, the tighter they squeezed. She felt herself being dragged across a cold, tiled floor. Sounds of doors slamming and footsteps tromping echoed from every side. Such an echo prompted Judy to deduce that she was in some sort of hallway. She soon felt herself easily yet forcefully lifted above the ground. An enormous, furry paw wrapped around her entire body. Her handler was undoubtedly a bear, for she recalled such a grip from one of Mr. Big's men long ago. She wouldn't mind having some gangsters to help rescue her this time. Who was Judy kidding? They were all in hiding and her friends had proceeded with the plan. Judy prepared herself to boldly face whatever the ZBI had in store for her. She motivated herself to remain silent about Jason, even if she was subjected to some kind of torture as a result.

As much as Judy didn't want to believe she would be tortured, the feeling of being strapped into a bunny-sized chair only realized such fears. Judy struggled to remain calm and collected as she felt her paws forced against the arms of a chair. Her shackles were removed and replaced by the chair's built-in cuffs. Each tightly clanged on Judy's wrists while others snapped onto her ankles. Judy fought to withhold from panicking but her little heart was pounding tremendously. She gripped the chair's arms until her paws hurt. All efforts to squirm out of the chair were virtually useless

It was then that the giant paw yanked the bag off of Judy's head. The bunny was then temporarily blinded by the lamp above her. Her handler was indeed a bear. Such a stern-faced ZBI agent finished his task and trudged towards the door. Lydia's voice could be heard, "Leave us."

"Yes, ma'am." saluted the bear before shutting the door behind him.

Judy wriggled in the chair as Lydia stood before her. "You should've followed orders," said the white tigress. "All of this could have been avoided if you just would have stayed away from the sinkhole."

"Yeah," sneered Judy. "And you'd still be executing innocent humans."

Lydia chuckled, "Innocent? Don't tell me you've been listening to that vile creature's wiles. Humans are notorious liars, you know."

"You're the only liar here," said Judy.

Lydia didn't waste a moment to place one of her claws against Judy's neck. She began to press until the bunny felt pressure and winced. "Where is the human?" She applied more pressure, "Where is he?" Judy remained silent, goading Lydia to bear her teeth in frustration. She snarled, "Where is that savage abomination?"

"Savage abomination," winced Judy. "I know no one of that description."

Lydia angrily withdrew, lightly cutting Judy's chin with her claw. The bunny hissed with pain from the small, bleeding cut. Lydia stepped back but kept her eyes ferociously fixed on Judy. "You seriously believe that human is good."

"Maybe if you tried to understand him instead of shoot at him, you'd believe it too." said Judy.

"I don't need to understand him!" roared Lydia before hastily composing herself. "I already know what his kind are capable of. That's why they must be exterminated."

"You know nothing about humans," jeered Judy.

Lydia scoffed with a mild, sarcastic chuckle. "Officer Hopps, I know more about humans than any mammal in Zootopia." She began to pace around Judy's chair. "You and everyone else has been living a lie. Nearly everything in your history museums has been fabricated to meet the ZBI's needs. It's the only way to ensure our safety. Thousands of years ago, the humans roamed and ravaged our world. My father, and his mother strived to make sure such a past does not repeat itself. That is why the ZBI was founded in the first place. To protect Zootopia and the surrounding towns from the human menace."

Judy firmly shook her head with a grimace, "I have yet to understand just what kind of menace human's are. They are just outcasts, struggling to survive as you and your agents countlessly slaughter them. They have done nothing to be considered menacing."

Lydia shook her head and reached for a remote control. She glared at Judy and angrily pressed one of the buttons. Judy braced for some kind of electrocution, but remained unharmed. Instead, Lydia had turned on a television. "It is time you learned the truth," She held up a disc, "Years of research about the days of old led ZBI analysts to uncover the truth. It is hard to believe that these monsters once populated the entire world."

Judy watched as the screen flashed a black and white image of a monument. It was that of an enormous arch that stood above a wide, clean street. The beautiful monument was built as one of regality and triumph. It was then that a thin, black mass began to form under the arch. Judy squinted her eyes for a closer look as the mass came into full view. A thunderous stomping boomed down the street, allowing Judy to realize that the mass was that of an army. She soon saw hundreds of humans marching in unison, each bringing their legs up increasingly high. Firearms rested against their shoulders and extended far into the sky. The soldier's helmets were sleek and shrouded their eyes with an ominously casted shadow. Judy was confused. What was wrong with soldiers marching under a triumphant monument? It was not until she saw the saddened, frightened populace that Judy realized the soldiers were conquerors. They marched in just as the screen switched to a different film reel. Judy watched as the same soldiers were guarding a barbed fence. Behind it were hundreds of malnourished humans in prison garbs. Among the suffering were dozens of children and such a sight made Judy gasp. The soldiers took aim and fired at them, causing Judy to shut her eyes with horror. Lydia stood with crossed arms beside her. The soldiers were then seen marching passed a screaming man at a podium. He furiously waved his fist while Judy observed the disturbing symbol on his armband. Judy's eyes widened at the sight of a giant bomb blasting over another landscape. A mushroom cloud formed and the television flashed rapid images of scorched individuals.

The screen flipped again, this time showing aircraft dropping seemingly endless piles of bombs on cities below. More scenes showed screaming and panicking civilians. Some were trying to dig through rubble while others lay dead beneath it. Judy cringed as the scene transitioned to a panic on some other street. The bunny immediately identified the law enforcement officials by their similar uniforms to the ZPD's. Her heart sank as she watched the officers beating darker-skinned humans with batons. Signs amidst various businesses in the background read: WHITES ONLY.

The screen flashed to an image that was actually in color. It showed a silver-lined city overlooking glistening waters. Suddenly, a plane crashed directly into one of two identical towers. The scene swapped as another plane blasted into the second. Both skyscrapers came tumbling down as human's voice said, "We are reporting live on the scene of what has been confirmed as a terrorist attack."

A compilation of multiple voices from both males and females played from the television. "Terrorism," they all said.

Another anchor could be heard while footage showed a city with flames emanating from it, "Over one-hundred people are dead after a series of terrorist attacks in Paris, France." The screen swapped to a swarm of police cars on a beach. "Authorities rushed to the scene after a truck just barreled through a crowd," said an anchor. "The incident has been confirmed as an act of terror carried out by extremists from the terror cell, ISIS."

Judy watched with anguish as the screen showed multiple people hugging each other and crying. A woman could be heard reporting, "A sad day in Orlando. After the loss of forty-nine people, the Pulse night club terrorist attack has become the worst shooting in American history."

The next clips showed cities ablaze with rioters, "Reports are flooding in that another police officer has been shot. The cop-killing spree continues." Judy's eyes began to tear up as she watched a sobbing child place flowers atop a flagged casket. Police officers saluted in the background while others carried their fallen comrade. Factories were seen with multiple animals being slaughtered for food. Another clip showed two dogs fighting savagely while humans cheered. Judy felt sickened watching a man with a crimson cape stab a weak, defenseless bull for sport. She was even further appalled by the crowd of thousands applauding such a despicable and villainous killing.

More footage showed children arming themselves with guns and firing upon villagers in some sort of province. Drone strikes fired on such villages, obliterating anyone caught in the blast radius. The screen then flashed a seemingly endless montage of bombings. Everything from mortars to torpedoes was striking against a people. Judy watched the compilation as an anchor stressed, "The year is 2058 and the race for super drones is well underway."

An enthusiastic reporter soon boasted, "Leaders have authorized the manufacturing of atomic drones in an effort to win the war! We'll see how that scum minds being vaporized!" The next clip was that of a colossal array of bombs scattering across the landscape. Fiery, mushroom-shaped clouds climbed high into the skiy as all erupted into a sea of ash. With one final bang, the video ended and the screen went black once more. Judy deduced that this was the 'Fall of Fire' Jason had talked about.

Judy was mortified by all she had just witnessed. The bunny had been crying the entire time and did not even realize it. Streaks of tears drenched her furry cheeks as she sat completely shocked. Lydia stood beside Judy as she trembled to speak, "They just...slaughtered each other. I don't understand. Why would they do that?"

"Because they could," replied Lydia. "Because they were greedy. Because they were monsters. The humans murdered each other out of pride and persecution. They sought vengeance, not redemption. They belittled intelligence and favored their disgustingly large egos. They glorified stupidity for entertainment and banished innovation. They gutted the land of its resources and dug their own graves. In the final struggle for whatever resources remained, societies were on the brink of collapsing. Instead of working together to solve the issue, war erupted...and the humans blasted themselves into ash. I only wish it had been all of them. Sadly, many of the vermin survived for the next thousand years. But we evolved as well. Forget whatever you were taught about our ancestors in elementary school. Prey and predator did not simply evolve from their savage ways and then shake hands. They united to destroy a common enemy, the humans that ruined the world. They hunted them by any means necessary, and eventually drove the malicious creatures far beyond. Such a hunt never ceased, even as years passed and Zootopia was built. The ZBI was founded by the city's first mayor, and was henceforth sent to exterminate the remaining humans. The mayor believed that the knowledge of humans would only inspire animals to selfishly follow in their destructive footsteps. To prevent such a tragedy, the mayor authorized that all of the educational systems be changed to teach a false truth." Lydia sighed while reciting, "In Zootopia...humans never happened. That's what the first mayor wanted. When he died, he left his secret with the ZBI, ensuring that not even other leaders would know the truth. This secret remains to keep our society safe. Every agent, including myself, watched the footage I just showed you in order to become fully indoctrinated. We must all know what it is we are fighting to protect" Lydia eagerly closed in on Judy, "Now we are close. We are closer than we have ever been to exterminating the humans once and for all. I promised myself I would complete this mission, but I cannot do it alone. I need your help, Judy. The ZBI needs you in order to stop this human scourge from repeating its horrendous history all over again." Lydia stretched out her paw and made a fist, "Let prey and predator unite against a common enemy once more. Help me end this, Judy. Please."

Judy shut her eyes and thought deeply. All of the awful, unseeable images she had just seen now seared into her mind. Judy struggled to break free of such thoughts while she imagined Zootopia in ruins. Amidst her chaotic thinking, Judy decided to focus on Jason. She visualized his pleasant smile and kind prowess. Judy breathed deeply and said, "No. I won't believe it, and I won't join you."

"What?!" snapped Lydia. "After all of the atrocities I just showed you, you're still willing to help these monsters?"

Judy remained firm, "What you showed me was truly scarring. It was despicable and very cruel. But I am willing to stake a claim that aside from all of that horror, there was some good within. I guarantee those humans did great things. I bet they fought for freedom and strived for knowledge. I refuse to believe that all of them were monsters because I have witnessed their kindness. Jason matches none of the descriptions you have presented, and I would even consider him to be a better person than any of us are." Lydia gasped. "They made mistakes just as we have and continue to do. We're certainly not perfect, and it is wrong for you to pass judgment on the humans. You won't keep this secret forever," intoned Judy as Lydia became even angrier. "I'll stop at nothing until I expose everything. The animals of Zootopia deserve to know the truth, no matter what."

Lydia hissed while opening up her jacket. "I guess there is no way to reason with certain mammals. You're tenacious, Judy, I'll give you that. However, you just passed up the only opportunity to save your life." Lydia withdrew her pistol and took aim at Judy. She had just cocked in when there was a knock at the door, "What is it?" she growled.

"Special delivery," replied a familiar voice.

"Enter?" suspected Lydia.

The door opened and Brock Barker came sliding in. Lydia aimed at him, but the husky shot the pistol right out of her paws. The weapon cracked and collapsed in smoking pieces. "No cage can hold me!" he prided. Brock furiously aimed his retrieved pistol at Lydia. "Turn around. Get against the wall!"

Lydia snarled, yet obliged. "You're making a huge mistake, Officer Barker. The ZBI will show no mercy to-"

"Yeah yeah. Stow it." quipped Brock as he shot Judy's restraints off and helped her down. Sirens soon blared in response to the gunshots. "You alright, Hopps?"

"Brock," she sighed before quickly hugging him. "Am I glad to see you."

"There's no way these ZBI losers could keep me locked up," he grinned. "After all, they're dealing with a hybrid. I was being transferred to an interrogation cell when I saw an opening and sprung away. When I heard they had you, I got here as soon as I could!" Brock hastily reached for his stolen belt and reloaded his pistol. "Sorry I don't have a spare weapon for you."

"No worries," assured Judy. The bunny pulled open Lydia's jacket and grabbed her tranquilizer pistol. "This will work." She turned to see Lydia scornfully scowling at them. She ignored the tigress and gave Brock a shove. "Reinforcements will be here any minute! We need to move!"

Brock and Judy sprinted down the hallway as ZBI agents closed in from all sides. "GET THEM!" roared Lydia from afar. It would take all of Brock and Judy's cunning capabilities to escape such a deathtrap.


	11. Chapter 11 - All For One

**Chapter: 11 All for One**

"This way!" called Brock as he sped down a corridor. A series of bullets whizzed from the corner, barely missing Brock's head. "Contact!" he alerted before taking cover. Judy slid over to his side and held up her tranquilizer. Brock blindly fired at the agents and turned to face Judy. "You know how to use that thing?"

"Yeah," she nodded. "I also know what a hit from one of these darts feels like."

More bullets blasted against the wall, prompting Brock to angrily return fire. "I can't get a good shot at them," he growled. "We'll have to make a dash down the adjacent hallway. I know it's a lot of distance between us and those bullets, but I think we're out of options."

Judy briefly leaned forward to observe the elongated distance. "A lot can happen in those seconds of crossing over. But I'll take my chances." She breathed deeply, "Call it."

Brock loaded his pistol with his last remaining clip. "I'll make this count. Ready...NOW!" Judy ran first while Brock provided covering fire. The husky leapt from behind the wall and ran behind her. Bullets struck from all sides, yet the duo had crossed over unscathed. They proceeded to escape up a flight of stairs. Once they reached the next level, Brock sealed the door and tied the handles with his belt. "That should buy us some time." The bear agent from earlier just rounded the corner. Judy was quick to draw her tranquilizer and fire a dart directly into the bear's neck. The colossal titan staggered with a groan and timbered over with a thud. "Nice shot, Hopps." complimented Brock. "Now to find a way out of here."

"Where are we?" wondered Judy. "Do you think we're even in Zootopia?"

Brock pointed, "A lot closer than you think." Judy followed his gesture towards a sign that read: Zootopia Correctional Facility. "The ZBI must've set up shop in the city prison. I can only assume Clawhauser's locked up somewhere in here as well."

"We have to find him," intoned Judy.

"No," snapped Brock. "There is no time. Agents are in pursuit and going after him will only slow us down. Furwell won't hurt that guy, but we're as good as dead. Now come on! We have to keep moving!" Judy sighed but found reason within Brock's words. She promised herself she'd come back for Clawhauser and continued to follow Brock. The husky aimed his pistol down a corner, "Clear." He checked another, "Clear."

"This way!" bellowed an agent.

"Back up!" warned Judy with a tug of Brock's tail. The two crept back into one of the detention blocks as a wave of agents scrambled to find them. Judy helped Brock ease the door shut and then took cover in the shadows. "Great," she whispered. "Now how are we going to get out of here?"

"Hopefully there's another door at the end of this block," said the husky.

Judy tried to recall the prison's layout. Such thoughts were interrupted by a shrewd female's voice. "Well well well. If it isn't Zootopia's golden bunny."

Judy turned with a sneer, "Dawn Bellwether."

"That crazy assistant mayor?" realized Brock.

"More like a glorified secretary," said the soft yet condescending voice. A short sheep stood behind bars while her hooves gritted away at them. Her green eyes glared through a pair of dusty glasses. She straightened out her orange jumpsuit and gave the poofy wool on her head a brush. "Long time no see, Judy. I see the city is treating you well. You and that fox are all over the news, you know. Terrorism huh? Never would've thought you'd stoop so low."

"We thought the same about you," glared Judy.

"I really do so hope we get to be bunkmates when you're arrested. That's if they don't kill you." Bellwether smirked maliciously. "I can't decide which would be a better outcome. Let's find out, shall we?"

Judy warned, "Dawn...don't you dare."

Bellwether wildly shot her bars and screamed, "HELP! IT'S THE TERRORISTS! THEY'RE HERE!" Judy quickly shot Bellwether with her tranquilizer. The sheep yelped from the pinch and dizzily stumbled. Her speech slurred atrociously, "I...we...ohhhhh." Bellwether faceplanted with an echoing smack.

"Bye bye, sheep." quipped Judy.

Brock glanced down at her, "That is one rotten ball of cotton." He couldn't resist petting her wool. "But soooo fluffy!"

Judy rolled her eyes at his remark. Suddenly, the door swung open as agents rushed in. They had heard Bellwether's initial shrieks and now stormed the detention block. Brock yanked Judy down the center corridor, all while returning fire with his pistol. Judy managed to tranquilize two emerging agents before escaping through another set of doors. It seemed as though fortune was finally favoring Judy. The hallways led her and Brock up a flight of stairs, through a winding corridor, and into a garage. As they entered the area, four agents fired from the balcony above. Judy leapt for a police car, "Keep me covered while I hotwire this!"

"Where'd you learn to do that?" wondered Brock while shooting.

"Nick's taught me a thing or two," grunted Judy as she pulled and sparked cables. The car's engine purred with ignition. "We're good! Come on!" Brock sprinted while blind-firing and lunged into the passenger's seat. Judy panicked, "It's a larger mammal car. I can't reach the pedals!"

"Switch!" urged Brock as the two hastily swapped seats. Bullets blasted through the windshield just as Brock floored the gas pedal. The police car roared with acceleration, skidded out of the garage, and then blasted across the moonlit city streets. "Did we just do that?" panted Brock.

"Yes we did," smiled Judy.

"Did we just break out?!"

"Yes we did!" cheered Judy.

"WOOOOOO!" howled Brock with smile. He gave Judy a joyous nudge, "We really showed those ZBI losers!" Judy checked her watch and sighed in relief. She reached for the radio and began tuning it. "Wait...what are you doing? Why are you calling the ZPD? We just escaped one group. Why have another on our tails?"

Judy ignored his comments and called Chief Bogo himself. "Hello, chief..." she began. "I don't know if you can hear me...or if you're even there. What I do know is that we've been through a lot together. We've butt heads in the past and made plenty of mistakes. Yet no matter what challenge we went through, we overcame. Our current situation is another one of those challenges. I believe I can start to make things right by reaching City Hall, but ZBI patrols are stationed throughout the city. I can't do this alone and I know I'm taking a heavy risk calling, but I trust you. I've trusted you with my career and life before so this will be no different. I hope you do not believe the lies Lydia Furwell has created about Nick and I. If the past year has shown you anything, it's that I love this city with all of my heart and I'd never seek to terrorize it. You need to make a choice, chief. You can live in Furwell's oppressive shadow, or you can take a stand with me and risk it all. I know I'm asking a lot, But you once told me that it's not about how bad you want something, but about what you are capable of that matters. Well, I believe you are more than capable of making the right decision. If you want to help, we are meeting at Acacia Street in...forty-eight minutes. Goodbye, sir."

Judy's transmission ended, leaving Bogo sitting stoically. The somber buffalo drummed his hooves on the table. His eyes scoured the floor while his mind weighed the pros and cons of his pending decision. Helping Judy meant defying the laws he lived by. Or did it? Bogo began to question Lydia's intentions while frustrating himself with her belittling of him. He wanted to trust Judy, but he was a man of authority and had to follow such protocol. Bogo's impatient temper caught up with him and he began to grit his teeth. He angrily swept an arm across his desk, knocking over most of his supplies in a furious rampage. His phone was among the vital items that came crashing to the floor. The headphones attached to it landed first, initiating the autoplay feature. One of the chief's favorite pop songs began to emanate from the device.

 _"I won't give up. No, I won't give in. Until I reach the end and then I'll start again,"  
_  
Bogo glared down at his phone while listening, clenched his fist, and reached for his jacket.

"I hope you know what you're doing," worried Brock as he drove. "I don't even know what the heck is going on."

"You just have to have faith," assured Judy.

"Yeah...That and a quarter will get me twenty-five cents."

"Keep driving to Acacia Street," directed the bunny. "We need to meet up with the others." Brock followed Judy's direction's through the quiet, blackened streets of Zootopia. Every so often, citizens would peak from behind the curtains of their windows. They'd peer down with equal curiosity and fear for all that was unfolding in their city. It pained Judy to see the mammals she swore to protect now quarantined by their own fears. The ZBI's aggressive authority only made their situation worse. They reached the destination with nearly a minute to spare and immediately caught a glimpse of the vehicle parked before them. The police cruiser's headlights flashed onto Finnick's orange, rusted, now-bulletholed van.

The back door opened and out slipped Nick. "I don't believe it," he gasped. Brock parked the car as Judy leapt out and bolted for Nick. Without even saying a word, she leapt into his embrace. He most certainly welcomed it and began to brush his paw across her head. "I knew you'd make it out."

Judy laughed, "You just said you didn't believe it."

"Eh, fifty-fifty." he shrugged, prompting Judy to punch him in the arm.

"I wouldn't have made it out if it wasn't for Brock."

The husky gave a brief wave while Nick took notice of the reddened scratch just under Judy's chin. "Oh, Carrots." he cringed.

"I'm alright," she assured. "Is everyone in position?"

"Ohoho yeah!" bellowed Finnick. The skid of multiple cars could be heard down the street. "Ohoho no!" he corrected.

"It's the ZBI!" warned Judy. "We have to move now!" Brock began to make his way to the police cruiser when Judy stopped him. Instead, the bunny jumped onto the seat and urgently restarted the car. Once she had done so, Judy frantically searched for something.

"Anytime you wanna go now!" rushed Nick.

Judy snapped with inspiration, "I need something to prop the pedal with!"

Nick delved into the back of the van and produced an oversized popsicle stick. "One Jumbo Pop coming right up!" He helped Judy lodge the stick against the acceleration and then pulled her out of the vehicle. Judy was able to flip on the siren just before he did so. Judy, Nick, and Brock exasperatedly made for the van and shut the doors behind them. The wave of ZBI cars eyed the speeding cruiser and chased it down towards the highway.

"Clever," admired Brock.

"But not enough to last forever," dreaded Judy. "Signal the contact and lets make for City Hall."

"Hang on, folks. We going racing." Finnick honked the wheel twice and then accelerated through Acacia Street. He put on his sunglasses to add power to his hustle, and took them off seconds later after realizing it was night. Nick buckled up in the front seat while Judy and Brock held on in the back.

Judy observed the husky's gun. "How many shots do you have left?"

"Eleven," checked Brock before holstering the pistol. "You?"

Judy checked her tranquilizer. "Two darts. Let's make our shots count."

"Agreed," nodded Brock. His eyes widened at the sight of headlights approaching from the other corner. He tensely gripped his pistol, "We've got company!"

"Stand down, Brock." intoned Nick. "It's our contact with Jason safely aboard. We split up so we could act as a diversion if necessary."

Brock raised a brow, "Who's your contact?" His question only caused Nick and Judy to smirk.

A cherry red sports car with white racing stripes and tinted windows came blazing onto Acacia street. Its engines roared like a mighty metallic beast as the vehicle sped alongside the van. Jason sat in its passenger seat, holding on so tight that his hands were as red as the car. "Shouldn't you slow down a bit, Mr. Flash?"

The driver was a lackadaisical sloth with a gentle smile on his face. "No...I...like...to go...fast." Even if Jason wanted him to slow down, it would take the sloth half an hour just to lift his foot off the gas pedal. They had been speeding since the start of their drive and the thought of how long it would take Flash to brake at City Hall terrified Jason. All the human could do was death grip the seat and occasionally shut his eyes with fear.

Nick shook his head with a smile. "Flash Flash Hundred-Yard Dash. That guy is something else."

Finnick glowered and squinted his eyes, "He ain't doing the signal. Think he's ready?"

Nick guffawed, "Forget the signal. He gets it. Besides, it would take Flash a millennia to honk twice."

"Point taken," said Finnick before accelerating to catch up with the sports car. "Alright, folks. We twenty minutes out."

Brock sat back with a huff, "A lot can happen in twenty minutes. Think we can make it to City Hall without any trouble?"

"Highly unlikely," admitted Judy. "But like Nick said, we can always split up and get the ZBI to chase us instead of Flash."

"What happens once we get the human to City Hall?" inquired Brock.

Judy sat adjacent from him and elaborated, "When we arrive at City Hall we'll-" Judy froze mid-sentence. Nick looked to her with worry while Brock remained patient. Regardless, both mammals were concerned with Judy's sudden halt. Her purple eyes widened and she slowly gasped, as if arriving at some pulse-pounding conclusion.

"Carrots?" Nick perturbed. "You alright?"

Brock's brows pulled together with concern as he began to sit up. "Yeah, Hopps. Are you-"

Judy drew her dart gun and aimed it at the husky. "Don't move!"

"Woah!" gasped Brock with his paws raised.

"Judy!" exclaimed Nick. "What are you-"

"I never mentioned humans," hissed Judy. "Who said anything about humans?" She looked to Nick as he shrugged. Finnick listened in but maintained his focus on the road.

Brock laughed nervously, "You did...didn't you? Okay, I know someone said humans. Just...put the tranq gun down."

"Not a chance," intoned the bunny. "You're with the ZBI, aren't you?"

"NO!" shouted Brock with a snarl. "How could you even say that after everything! I'd never work for those agents!"

"Then how did you escape capture without a scratch on you? I know you're a better shot. You were able to shoot a gun clean out of Lydia's paws so why were you blindfiring at our pursuers? Why didn't they chase us out of the prison or lock down the garage. They let us go...because of you."

"Are you hearing yourself?!" yelled Brock. "Come on, I want to help!"

"Yeah, help Furwell." jeered Judy. "That tigress would never let us go without a fight. You're her backup plan to get to Jason."

Brock grit his teeth and clenched his paws, "To think that I looked up to you. I just saved your tail back there and this is how you treat me?"

Finnick lost his focus and glanced over his shoulder. "Should I pull over?"

In the split second that Judy looked at Finnick, Brock reached for his pistol. He shot Finnick in the shoulder, causing the tiny fox to collapse against the wheel. The van swerved, forcing everyone to the left. Brock slammed into Judy as she took aim with her dart gun. She squeezed the trigger just as Brock backpawed her to the floor. Her trigger finger fulfilled the motion and a dart went zipping towards the passenger's seat. The projectile barely missed Nick's neck and tore into the headrest. "Finnick!" shouted Nick.

"I'm fine!" growled the wounded fox as he steadied the wheel. "Help yo girl!"

Nick turned with a snarl and tackled Brock. The two tumbled to the very back of the van and slammed into the rear doors. They swung open as a response and Brock attempted to throw Nick out to the street. Judy recovered from the husky's backpaw and leapt to engage. She used her agility to bounce off of the wall and kick Brock against his jaw. He staggered back and released Nick while the doors shut behind him. Brock shuffled for his gun, grabbing hold of it just as Nick and Judy attacked. The duo gripped his wrists, attempting to wrestle the pistol out of his grasp. The persistent husky wouldn't let go and wildly fired several shots throughout the van. One blasted through the windshield, startling Finnick and goading him to duck.

Brock finally dropped the gun and lunged towards Nick and Judy. The mighty husky was certainly strong enough to overpower both mammals and slam them against the wall. Nick attempted to throw a punch, but Brock caught it and kneed him in the face. Brock snarled with his rising surge of adrenaline. "You're traitors to your own kinds!" Judy lunged at him with a high kick, but Brock caught and spun her around. He pinned her to the floor and placed his body weight atop of her. Judy gasped for air as he applied even greater pressure. His ferocious nose snorted in her ear as he scorned, "How dare you help the humans after everything they did to our world. Everything they did to each other! They're savages!"

"Lydia is the only...savage now." grunted Judy.

"She's the only sane leader in this city!" yelled Brock before slamming Judy again. Nick shouted to distract the husky and then jumped onto his back. He withdrew his claws and scratched Brock against his neck. The undercover ZBI agent hissed with pain and rolled off of Judy. He recovered, felt his bloodied wound, and smirked. "Well well. I guess you do have a savage side to you, Nick."

Nick looked down at his claws, embraced his anger and bared his teeth. "If it means stopping you and protecting her, who cares how I do it?!"

Brock bared his own teeth and claws. "That's the spirit." Nick pounced on Brock and the two savagely tussled in the back of the van. Meanwhile, Judy's breathing was just starting to return to normal. As she wheezed and coughed for air, she took notice of Brock's pistol resting just in front of her. She mustered her strength and began to crawl for it. Nick uppercutted Brock in the jaw but the husky easily recovered. He punched Nick so hard that the fox lost his footing. Brock noticed that Judy was inching towards his firearm and quickly finished his fight. He pulled up Nick by the tail and threw him at the doors. Nick crashed into them and went tumbling out onto the street.

"One down," panted Brock as he shut the doors. Judy had just managed to get her paws on the gun. "Ah ah ah," tsked Brock. He kicked Judy in the face and picked up the pistol. He made his way to the front of the van while calling in on a hidden comm piece disguised as one of his shirt buttons. "This is Agent Barker. Suspects are enroute to City Hall. All agents converge." He took aim at the windshield and shut one of his eyes. "At least...the suspects WERE enroute." Brock fired his pistol thrice to shatter the windshield. He then aimed precisely at Flash's sports car. He smirked, already knowing how good of a shot he was. He pulled the trigger, sending a bullet zipping right into the sports car's front tire. It exploded with a tremendous bang and the vehicle lost control. Brock was unaware that the driver was a sloth and could not reach the brake in time. As a result, the sports car kept speeding until it struck a streetlight and rolled across the street. Finnick attempted to swerve but it was far too late. "Oh-" was all Brock could utter before Flash's car collided with Finnick's van. The crash sounded with a series of crunches, clamors, bangs and shatters. Glass sputtered against the street while twisted pieces of metal came plummeting down. The sports car smashed downwards while the van rolled off of it, completely flipping over in the process. The van wrecked against the ground with a thunderous boom and wave of sparks. The totaled cars skidded to stops, filling the frigid and nightly air with a disturbing silence.

Jason groaned from the passenger's seat. Despite bruises against his arms, legs, and face, the human was alright. He felt his bloodied forehead and the cut against it. Jason quickly turned and gave Flash a nudge. "Sloth? Sloth! Are you alright, my friend?"

The sloth turned as slow as molasses pouring from a jar. "I...am..."

"Suffering? Dying?" worried Jason.

"Well," finished Flash. "Thanks...to...my...seat...belt." Jason raised a brow, befuddled as to how the sloth could have survived such a wreck with no casualties beyond disheveled fur. He shook off such bewilderment and crawled his way out of the car in order to find the others. "Good thing...I have...insurance." Flash reached for his wallet at a depressingly slow pace.

Judy opened her eyes to find herself sprawled against one of the van's dented walls. She first glanced at Finnick, who was unconscious at the wheel. Brock was just beginning to stir from against the passenger seat, forcing Judy to recover even quicker. The husky was covered in cuts and had a scrape against his back. "You!" he roared and took aim.

Judy scampered out of the wrecked van just as Brock fired two shots at her. The weakened husky's aim was impaired, causing his bullets to ting against the van's broken door. Judy just crawled out against the cold pavement of the street. Her eyes widened upon realizing that City Hall was within walking distance. The enormous building towered just in front of her, instantly restoring her hope for survival. In that instant, Judy heard several civilians opening their windows to peek outside. Running out of options and thinking quickly, Judy began to yell. "Hey! Come outside! Everyone! Please!" If any time was suitable to reveal Jason to the city, it was now. "Hurry!" she yelled to them. Some mammals kept watching while others timidly shut their windows.

Judy gasped when Brock stumbled out of the van. The wounded husky lifted his pistol, "To think I used to look up to you. Yet here you are trying to save that plague of creature. If you care about him so much, you can die for him." Brock proudly pulled the trigger and Judy braced.

 ** _CLICK!  
_**  
"What?" snapped Brock as he repeatedly attempted to fire.

 ** _CLICK! CLICK! CLICK!  
_**  
Brock glowered and threw the empty gun to the floor. He was advancing towards Judy when Jason tackled him away. Judy backed up and caught her breath as the two battled across the street. Jason shoved Brock away, stood in front of the wounded bunny, and roared like a wild beast, "YOU WILL NOT HARM HER!"

Brock simply chuckled before unlatching his holster. He pulled off his tie and unclipped his badge before getting down on all fours. The hybrid truly portrayed his title and savagely pounced at Jason. "NO!" worried Judy as the two battled before her.

Jason threw a wild punch as the husky tried to bite him. He tried to hold Brock back, but the foe managed to claw him on his hip. Jason grunted with pain before rolling away. He clutched his bloodied side with a mild whimper, never feeling such a stinging pain before. Brock chuckled, "Pathetic. You vermin deserve extinction." He pounced on Jason again. "And I'm happy to see it through!" He dug his claws into Jason's shoulders, causing the human to cry out with pain.

"Jason," uttered Judy. She forced herself to stand, only to fall over on her twisted ankle.

Nick had just begun to stir at the other end of the street. He rose, recovered Judy's tranquilizer from the floor, and staggered towards the car crash.

Brock flashed a sinister grin from his snout and laughed at the human's cries, as if gaining some form of emotional high from it. Much to the husky's dismay, Jason's crying came to an end. Not because the human had perished, but because he had become angry. Jason grit his teeth with a growl and used his powerful hands to death grip Brock. He then pushed up with a furious huff. His sweaty biceps rippled as he lifted Brock high into the air and bellowed like a monster.

The husky's confidence had apparently diminished, and he now flailed while screaming. "Put me down! Please! Please!"

"I'll put you down," snarled Jason. In one swift motion, the human slammed Brock against the concrete and then pinned him with his body. He proceeded to wrap his fingers around his foe's furry neck and squeeze. He tightened his grip, forcing Brock to wheeze for whatever slither of air he could obtain. Jason maintained eye contact for the entire time and only increased pressure from his hands. As he choked the husky, he withdrew his hidden knife and raised it to strike. When he did so, he took a quick glance from his shoulder to see Judy watching. Such a look had somehow diminished the rage in his eyes. His brows relaxed and his breathing slowed. He dropped the knife and released his grip on Brock's neck, permitting him to breathe as he remained pinned. Jason looked down at him, "Humans are not savages. Not tonight. Not ever again." He stood up and returned his hands to his wounded side. "This is for my people."

Despite his injuries, Brock drew his claws again and attempted another attack. Judy fought through the pain against her ankle and used it to spring herself up. She then used her healthy leg to kick Brock square across the face, knocking the husky unconscious. Judy landed with a stumble but Jason caught her. He smiled through his bruised face, "Are you alright?"

Judy began to smile back, "Yes. I'm proud. I discovered the truth of what your race did to the old world. And not once did I ever consider you to be anything like them. You just proved me right."

Jason cradled Judy into his arms and stepped towards City Hall. "We are who we choose to be, and I refuse to be what the hunters see me as."

"That is why I have hope for a peace between our species," nodded Judy.

The sound of screeching tires echoed across the streets as the remaining ZBI vehicles circled the area. Jason and Judy exchanged glances, knowing they were in no shape for a fast getaway. The ZBI agents emerged from their cars with weapons trained. "We're surrounded," panicked Jason.

Judy's ears twitched upon hearing sirens. "So is the ZBI," she rejoiced.

The two watched as rush of police cars swarmed in, tremendously outnumbering the ZBI vehicles. Officers quickly disembarked and took aim at the ZBI agents. Chief Bogo stepped out of his vehicle and activated his megaphone. "This is the ZPD! Drop your weapons! You are all under arrest for treason against the people of Zootopia."

A ZBI agent scoffed, "THEY are the traitors!"

Bogo crossed his arms, "If Judy Hopps is a traitor to Zootopia, then I'm a gazelle."

Flash heard the chief's comment and found it hilarious. The sloth, still buckled in his overturned car, began to chuckle. "Ha...ha...ha...ha...ha."

Bogo rolled his eyes, "Book these agents and get them out of my sight!" Outnumbered, the agents reluctantly dropped their weapons and submitted to capture. Several officers also helped get pull Finnick and Flash out of their vehicles. Bogo turned to Judy with a smile, something her rarely gave anyone in his lifetime. The smile disappeared upon observing Jason.

Judy chuckled, "It's a long story. But keeping it short, this is Jason. He's a human." Jason gently waved and Bogo responded with a mystified nod. "There were never any terrorists. Lydia Furwell knew Nick and I had found a human and framed us in order to have the city's backing. They've been hunting these poor creatures for years." Judy sighed, "Oh Chief...everything we've known is a lie. I hope the truth can now begin with Jason and our good mayor." Jason smiled and proceeded to carry his bunny friend towards City Hall. "One more thing, Chief!" said Judy. "Brock was a ZBI plant. He was reporting to Furwell all along."

"Was he now?" inquired Bogo. He knelt over the dizzied husky as he began to awaken. "I should've known something smelled rotten about you from the start, hybrid."

Brock spat at the ground and grumbled, "I was there in the event of someone like Judy discovering humans. I was a failsafe."

"Well, you failed." shrugged Bogo. "That's all that I care about. Haul this trash away."

At the chief's command, an elephant officer snapped handcuffs on his paws and shoved him in a squad car. "You can't stop us!" barked Brock. "The ZBI will never be stopped until every...human...is...DEAD!"

"Shut up!" growled the elephant while slamming the door in Brock's face. The elephant then saluted, "All agents apprehended sir."

"Including Furwell?" asked Bogo. The elephant grimly shook his head. "Well keep looking. I want that kitty cornered and cuffed." Bogo took notice of civilians emerging from their homes and shouted on his megaphone. "Attention mammals of Zootopia! The state of emergency has been lifted! The ZBI has been lying to you this entire time. Please step out of your homes and...meet our friend."

As Jason proceeded towards City Hall, he and Judy took notice of the onlookers as they gasped and pointed. "Think they're afraid?" he asked.

"Initially," sighed Judy. "But that will all come to pass. Now we can finally start to make things right around here. No one will ever hunt you or any other human again."

Jason took a deep breath, embracing such a peaceful feeling. "I can only hope so. Thank you, Judy. For the risks you and all of your friends took to save me. I am so sorry for the trouble I put you through."

Judy placed her paw on his chest and looked up at him, "I swore an oath to protect and serve. I choose to keep honoring it."

"You are very admirable, Judy." said Jason. "My mate and child would be so enamored by your courage and all you have done for me."

Judy smiled, "Then I'll just have to meet them! Speaking of meeting, Mayor Snoutmeyer is going to love you."

Jason pushed open the doors to City Hall to immediately find the mayor standing before them. He had a look of panic flashed across his pink face. Judy did not even have enough time to comprehend why the mayor was not in his office. It was then that she noticed the white paw on his shoulder. "Run!" was all the mayor could yelp before Lydia emerged from behind him. She shoved her pig of a shield away and aimed her pistol. The situation was so intense, it was as if the entire world was moving in slow motion.

"Look out!" Judy struggled to break out of Jason's arms in order to push him to safety. She tried to sit up, desperately attempting to shield him with her own tiny body. The front doors began to swing open again as Nick entered. He gasped at the situation and aimed the dart gun in his paws. Lydia pulled the trigger as Nick did the same.

An unidentified bang sounded from City Hall, prompting Bogo and his police units to rush over. Judy had dropped to the floor and quickly looked up to see Nick aiming his gun. The last remaining dart had found its way into Lydia's neck. The white tigress stumbled backwards and forwards before collapsing, completely incapacitated. Nick looked down at Judy and helped her up, "Are you okay?"

Judy rubbed her head from the fall, "Yeah but-" She gasped before looking over at Jason. The human seemed frozen where he stood. He stuttered for a moment and loosed a single cough. A hole could be seen torn through the chest area of white shirt. Such a color made the blood all the more distinguishable. What started as a lone trickle had turned into several streaks of the scarlet substance. He fell backwards. He slammed against the door and rolled onto the stairs outside. "JASON!" screamed Judy. Pain didn't matter anymore. She flopped herself towards the door while Nick rushed to help her do so. They came outside to find him sprawled against the stairs. The sun was just starting to come up and illuminated Jason in a gentle ray of sunshine. Judy quickly slid to his side and pressed her paws on his chest. "Come on! Stay with me, Jason!" she turned to yell at Nick. "Help me, dammit!"

That was the first time Nick had ever heard such a word from her. He ran over and also applied pressure on his wound. "I think he's losing too much blood."

"No he's not!" snapped Judy. "No he's not!" She nudged Jason's face and his listing eyes met her own. "Jason. I need you to focus. You're strong. You can do this!"

Jason's voice became a painful whisper, "Judy..." he began. "It's alright."

"No!" she yelled as two tears escaped her eyes. "That shot was for me! FOR ME!" The bunny began to whimper as he slowly shook his head. "Why did you drop me? I could've...I...I would've-"

"No..." whispered Jason. He coughed and shivered as his skin turned pale. "You're...alive...because they need you."

"I'm just me," sniffled Judy. "We need you. I...need you."

Jason lifted his trembling hand and gently caressed Judy's cheek. She rested her against his palm and he wiped her tears with his thumb. "I'm sorry."

"Why? Why are you sorry?"

"I kept the truth from you. I knew about humanity's disgraceful fall all along. Every human knows the story of how we got in this mess. It was all our fault, but I didn't want you to judge me for the mistakes of my species. I...I was afraid for a very long time. Afraid that your kind would...WAS making the same mistakes mine did in the days of old." He forced a smile through his pain. "Now I see I was wrong to be afraid. Your world will succeed where mine failed because they have a leader like you. We are all capable of horrible nightmares, but also beautiful dreams. Kindness is what makes the latter possible." His fluttering eyes swayed to meet Nick's worried gaze. "Take care of her." Nick glumly nodded as Jason coughed again. "You are a fascinating friend, Judy Hopps. You have a good heart. Because of you, I had...all of us have...a chance." Jason urged himself to smile as a single tear rolled down his cheek. "And because of you...I have to fight."

Judy's ears perked up and her eyes widened. She clenched at his chest again. "That's it. That's it, Jason. Come on, fight for me. Fight for me!"

Amidst the commotion, the rest of Zootopia had emerged from hiding. Both citizen and police officer alike circled over to discover the truth for themselves. "Move!" shoved Bogo. "Move! Move!" Medic teams rushed in behind him and knelt beside Jason.

"Get pressure on that wound!" exclaimed a uniformed caribou while he gripped an oxygen mask and placed it on his mouth.

Mayor Snoutmeyer stepped over and looked down upon the procedures. The pig had never come to know the man, yet he found himself crying. "Come on," he urged. "Come on, Jason. You don't know me. And I don't know you. But we need you to fight!"

Judy never let go of Jason's hands, and he never broke eye contact with her. "You've got this, big guy." she urged with a gentle smile. "That's it...keep breathing."

Nick placed a firm paw on his arm. "We've made it this far. You can't quit on us now."

Snoutmeyer turned to the crowd, "Mammals of Zootopia! We stand together as a new dawn rises. One of compassion and enlightenment. We have much to understand and even more to discover. But thanks to our dear friends here, we will be able to move forward from this tragedy. For all that you hold dear and regardless of what you believe, I ask that you help me pray for this...Jason. Pray he endures as he always has. We must to live together. We must love together. Either we start now, or no one will."


	12. Chapter 12 - Epilogue

**Chapter: 12 Epilogue**

 _Cameras turned and focused as news anchor Peter Moosebridge began his morning report, "Today marks a week since the life-changing revelations behind Zootopia's lockdown. Efforts to reevaluate educational facilities based on newfound information continues. Your kittens and cubs will be learning all about human origins in history books projected to be published within the next year. Such information has been taken from the ZBI's hidden footage archives, revealing a multitude of media forms belonging to ancient humans. All of the footage is currently being examined by a team of the mayor's best analysts. All of Zootopia is slowly but surely coming to terms with the existence of these peculiar humans. Meanwhile, Mayor Snoutmeyer has shut down the entire ZBI. It's former head, Lydia Furwell and all of her agents have been arrested for conspiracy, treason, and the countless murders of innocent humans."_

Lydia sat in her cell at the Zootopia Correctional Facility. She glared over at the sheep in the cell across from her. Bellwether asked, "Judy?"

"Judy," groaned Lydia as the sheep nodded understandingly.

The other former mayor, Leodore Lionheart, looked over at Brock and asked, "Wrong thing for the right reason?"

The husky scowled at him, "Oh shut up."

 _Peter Moosebridge continued his news report, "Mayor Snoutmeyer has now established the Human Protection Squad, a special team devoted to finding humans lost beyond Zootopia's borders. He has appointed acclaimed officer and city hero, Judy Hopps to become the team leader."_

"You love all this greenery, don't you?" said Judy while sitting on the grounds of her family's farm. "You wanted to savor it for as long as possible. Those were your words, weren't they? Well, now these rolling hills of farmland are as much yours as they are my family's."

Judy turned to see Jason sitting besides her, munching on a carrot. "I am honored to call this place my home." he chomped before placing a gentle hand on Judy's back. As the two looked out across the gorgeous hills, Jason sighed. "Hey Judy?"

"Yes?"

"Thank you. For never giving up on me."

Judy smiled. "It's all in the oath."

"An oath I hope to take someday," chuckled Jason. "Say, do you think Zootopia is ready for its first human officer?"

Judy chortled, "Buddy, you should've seen them with their first rabbit officer."

Bonnie walked over and placed a loving paw on both of their backs. "I'm so proud of both of you."

Judy rested her head back against the older bunny. "Thanks, Mom."

Bonnie sighed, only to jump as she remembered something. "Judy! I almost forgot!"

Her daughter raised a brow, "What?"

Bonnie began to reach into her left pocket. "Well, I was looking through the phone you left behind and I found the picture Nick had taken. I did my best to send, resize, and print it." Bonnie produced a solid copy of the photograph and handed it to Judy. "I thought you should have this."

Judy smiled at the image of her and Jason. She produced a faint giggle upon realizing Nick had his dewclaw on the screen. She wasn't sure if it was accidental or intentional, but her instincts deduced it was the latter. "Awwww. Thank you, Mom." She turned the photo to Jason, "Nice smile!"

The human chuckled. "I like these photo things. Can we make more?"

"Sure," giggled Judy.

They turned to the sound of a van revving into the driveway. It was dark blue with white "Human Protection Squad" logos brandished on both sides. Finnick honked behind the wheel while Nick poked out from the passenger's seat. "Hey Carrots! Furless! You're gonna wanna hear this!"

Judy's heart sank as she ran for the van. Jason braced himself for the urgent news. She stopped herself in order to hug her mother and then proceed. Jason was quick to hug both bunnies, tightly lifting them off of the ground. The embrace was ended when his aching chest prompted him to drop them. His wound would take much more time to heal. They then slipped into the backseat and accompanied Clawhauser. The cheetah was loving his new job as the squad's surveillance manager. He attempted to speak through the donut chunks he had stuffed into his mouth. He eagerly waved his claw at one of the screens as Nick elaborated for him. "Cameras in the eastern mountain range just picked up a small pack of humans roaming for shelter. A blonde, curly-haired woman and child were among them!"

Judy's eyes widened with realization as her smile grew. Joyful tears filled Jason's eyes as he examined the mountain footage. "My Tessa...My Samuel!"

Judy felt her heart leap for joy, just from watching how happy Jason was. "Well, what are we waiting for? Let's go!"

"Punch it, Finnick." quipped Nick.

The little fox reversed out of the driveway and then floored the gas pedal. As the team raced off, Judy found herself regaining a very special form of joy. "A promise is a promise, Jason." she said to the human. "We'll find them. We'll keep them safe. We'll bring them home." Judy happily took her photo with Jason and stuck it to the van's wall. Perseverance and sheer willpower had seen her courageous endeavor through. Thanks to all of her sacrifices, Judy had gained a fantastic new friend and shaped a brilliant future. One that both humans and animals could finally share in harmony.

 **THE END**

 ** _Thank you so much for reading this story. I hope you enjoyed its messages about kindness and selflessness. It was a pleasure to bring you such a story and I look forward to many more adventures. Special thanks to my girlfriend, LeAnn. Without her, this story just wouldn't be magical._**

Long live the imagination!

~Michael J. Pineda


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